Just days after the Navy announced the return of the USS Abraham Lincoln, the San Diego-based USS Theodore Roosevelt is scheduled to deploy to the Middle East, according to a new report.
The nonprofit U.S. Naval Institute reported Wednesday that the Roosevelt is preparing to leave San Diego in the coming weeks for what is expected to be a seven-month deployment.
The USNI said the Roosevelt and its accompanying guided-missile destroyers will replace the Japan-based USS George Washington, which was normally patrols in the eastern Pacific Ocean but was ordered to the Arabian Gulf so that the Lincoln could return.
The Lincoln was supporting the blockade of Iran and its deployment included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days. Concerns grew about the lengthy deployment following reports of deteriorating mental health among the crew and shortages of supplies including food and hygiene products.
On Thursday, the Navy announced progress in enforcing the blockade, saying it has cleared all Iranian sea mines along internationally recognized transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
Since the Iran war began, the Navy has kept two aircraft carriers off Iran. The USNI said the Navy envisions longer carrier deployments in the near term amid a number of strategic challenges around the world.
