In a statement the Sixth Fleet said: “The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group conducted combat sorties from the Mediterranean in support of Operation Inherent Resolve over Syria and Iraq June 3, 2016”. No strikes were directed against targets in Iraq, the official said.
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Truman and her escort ships cruised through the Suez Canal on June 2.
“While the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is in the 6th Fleet area of operations, they continue to project power ashore against terrorists and violent extremists”, said Vice Adm. James Foggo III, Commander, in a statement from USA 6th Fleet.
USS Harry S. Truman has been previously deployed to the Persian Gulf, and its aircraft have conducted strikes on ISIS before.
However, the Pentagon extended the deployment of Carrier Air Wing 7 for one more month to reduce a gap with its replacement, the carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The USS Harry Truman has begun hitting Islamic State’s targets from the Mediterranean Sea.
A USA official had earlier confirmed ammunition drops on Friday to a US-backed group advancing on the northern Syrian town of Manbij, which is held by Islamic State.
Although the United States maintains a contingent of aircraft at the nearby Incirlik airbase in Turkey, a complement of carrier aircraft nearby will allow for a higher tempo of sorties over multiple battlefields.
Truman Carrier Strike Group is now operating in the Red Sea, part of a deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the US-led coalition against Daesh, as well as maritime security operations and security cooperation efforts, the embassy said.
Truman Carrier Strike Group is in the 6th Fleet area of operations, they continue to project power ashore against terrorists and violent extremists, ” Vice Admiral James Foggo III, commander of United States 6th Fleet, said in a statement.
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Between Dec. 29 and April 15, Truman’s aircraft dropped 1,118 bombs or used other ordnance on ISIS positions, surpassing the previous record of 1,085 set by the USS Theodore Roosevelt in 2015. The two-month gap in carrier coverage was a first since 2007.
