In a remarkable development unseen in the region for several years, the US Fifth Fleet announced the arrival of more than 3,000 sailors and soldiers to the Middle East on Sunday, as part of a plan previously announced by the Pentagon.
In a statement today (Monday), the US Fifth Fleet reported that a guided-missile destroyer and a landing ship have arrived in the Red Sea to provide additional air and naval assets to the region.
The operational area of the US Fifth Fleet spans approximately 2.5 million square miles and includes the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
Notably, in recent weeks, the US Air Force has sent a squadron of F-35 fighter jets and another squadron of F-16s to the region. The Air Force has also maintained a squadron of A-10 aircraft in the area for months.
Furthermore, the US forces in the region have deployed two destroyers with their accompanying ships to cover the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman from both the air and sea, with a larger number of naval and aerial assets at levels not seen in the region for several years.
