This is the strategic guided missile submarine that the US sent to the Middle East

He United States Central Command reported on his social networks that a Ohio class submarine was entering his area of ​​responsibility. In accordance with cnnan image posted with the ad appeared to show the submarine in the Suez Canal, northeast of Cairo, Egypt.

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Although it is not identified submarine In the publication, CNN highlighted that The US Navy has four Ohio-class guided missile submarineseither SSGN (for their acronym in English), which are ancient submarines ballistic missile converted to fire cruise missiles Tomahawk instead of ballistic ones with nuclear warheads.

According to CNN, each of these submarines can carry 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles50% more than American guided missile destroyers and almost four times more than submarines US Navy’s latest attack weapons.

Furthermore, each Tomahawk can carry a 450 kilo warheadsaid the news network.

“SSGNs can provide great firepower very quickly,” Carl Schuster, former director of operations at the Joint Intelligence Center of the US Pacific Command, told CNN in 2021. “One hundred and fifty-four Tomahawks They accurately deliver a great blow. No US adversary can ignore the threat,” she added.

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The submarines of the Ohio class are the largest built by the US Navy They have a length of 170.69 meters and are designed for prolonged deterrent patrols.

They were built between 1974 and 1997 and replaced the Benjamin Franklin and Lafayette submarines. They entered service in the early 1980s. These are underwater platforms capable of for launching virtually undetectable missilesnoted the Spanish newspaper ABC.

The base of the Ohio submarines It is located at Kings Bay Base, Georgia.

On average, Ohioans spend about 70 consecutive days at sea and another 25 days in maintenance in the port.

They can house up to 66 members of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) and they have two crews, called Blue and Gold. These alternate on the submarines while they are on patrol time, indicates ABC.

Regarding its current combat status, CNN recalls that the magnitude of its firepower was demonstrated in March 2011, when Guided missile submarine USS Florida fired nearly 100 Tomahawks at targets in Libya during Operation Odyssey Dawn. The attack marked the first time that the SSGN They were used in combat.

CNN emphasizes that the movements of these submarines are generally carried out in absolute secrecy, so It is striking that this time the Armed Forces have said that one of them is in the Middle East.

The announcement of the presence of a guided missile submarine of the Ohio class It occurred on the same day that the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinkenmade surprise visits to West Bank already Iraq. This Monday, the head of US diplomacy was in Türkiye.

The war began on October 7, after Hamas will infiltrate Israel by land, air and sea, surprising the Israeli soldiers. The Islamists killed around 1,400 people and took 240 civilians and soldiers to Gaza as hostages.

In retaliation to the Islamist attack, On October 7, Israel began bombing Gaza, after the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will declare war on Hamas and will promise not to stop until annihilating the organization that has governed the Palestinian enclave since 2007.

As of Monday, more than 10,000 Palestinians have died in Loop in Israeli attacks.

Submarines, soldiers and fighters

In addition to the strategic submarine, The United States has already deployed 2,000 soldiers, two aircraft carriers and their respective groups, and 135 fighter aircraft in the Middle East.

After the attack of Hamas in Israel On October 7, the United States began to move warships and aircraft in the region. This is in order to discourage any involvement of third parties in the war in Loop.

The aircraft carrier strike group USS Gerald R. Ford was ordered to head to the eastern Mediterranean a few hours after the attack on Israel. His deployment is for an indefinite period, the AP agency indicated.

Furthermore, the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austinordered the carrier strike group USS Dwight D. Eisenhower join the ford in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Pentagon has also reported the shipment to the region of Bataan amphibious groupwhich consists of three ships carrying thousands of troops from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the AP said.

A U.S. official told the AP that the Bataan, the USS Mesa Verde, an amphibious transport dock, and the Carter Hall, a landing ship, are heading toward the Red Sea.

The ships carry helicopters and assault ships that can deliver Marines into hostile territory. or provide medical or other assistance.

The AP agency specified that the aircraft carrier They serve as command and control centers and can conduct information warfare. They carry F-18 fighter jets that can fly deterrence missions or attack targets. They also have E-2 Hawkeye surveillance aircraft which can warn of missile launches and detect enemy movements.

The United States has also sent several planes loaded with weapons to Israel. It has provided small diameter bombs, other munitions and interceptor missiles for its anti-aircraft system Iron Dome.

Israel has asked the United States for 24,000 assault rifles, the newspaper reported The New York Times.

The president’s administration Joe Biden has gotten defense companies to accelerate orders for weapons Israel that were already in the records, including ammunition for the Iron Dome, AP reported.

Additionally, the United States has established a small special operations forces cell that has been working with Israel to provide intelligence and planning, as well as advice to the Israel Defense Forces in the recovery efforts of the hostages, of whom there are some 240 held by Hamas in Gaza. The Pentagon has stressed that its troops are not involved in any hostage rescues.

The Pentagon has also ordered the sending of additional fighters to reinforce the A-10, F-15 and F-16 squadrons at bases in the Middle East. More will be added if necessary, AP said.

USA It already has a significant air force in the Middle East region to carry out manned and unmanned operations, especially in Syria.

austin He ordered that some 2,000 soldiers be prepared for deployment if necessary.