The USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier has officially entered the war against the Islamic State group, launching its first airstrikes from the Arabian Gulf earlier today, according to the U.S. Navy.
"Warfighting is the priority; that's why we are here," said Navy Rear Adm. Bret Batchelder, commander of Carrier Strike Group 8. "We provide the hard power in the collective DIME, and look forward to contributing however we can."
The Truman and its 5,000-man crew departed from the naval station in Norfolk, Va., Nov. 16, and upon arriving in the Arabian Sea, ended a several-month U.S. carrier gap in the area after the USS Theodore Roosevelt departed in October, according to the Hill.
The Truman and its embarked Carrier Air Wing 7 have joined France's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle in carrying out combined combat operations in Iraq and Syria from the sea, said the Navy.
"Dual carrier operations with the French allow us to maximize our firepower and provide a unique opportunity to further progress against ISIL. It validates our abilities to successfully operate as an international coalition while conducting very dynamic operations," said Batchelder, using the government's preferred acronym for the Islamic State group.
Having both carriers in the region allow one to conduct bombing runs while the other prepares for the next day, according to Capt. Fredrick Luchtman, commander of Carrier Air Wing 7. "We complement each other in that while one carrier is able to fly sorties in country to support [Operation Inherent Resolve], the other carrier can conduct maintenance and prepare for the next day. The carriers can then swap, which allows us to put more sorties in country while we partner in this operation."
The mission is expected to last seven months, according to the Daily Press.
