Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group enters 5th Fleet

Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Oswald Felix Jr. | 210625-N-BR419-1115 ARABIAN SEA (June 25, 2021) An F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the Dambusters of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 195 launches from the flight deck of the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Ronald Reagan is the flagship for Carrier Strike Group 5 and is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Oswald Felix Jr.)  

ARABIAN SEA

06.25.2021

Courtesy Story

Commander, Task Force 70 / Carrier Strike Group 5

ARABIAN SEA (June 25, 2021) – The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), flagship of the Ronald Reagan carrier strike group (CSG), along with guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) and guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97), entered the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, June 25.

The CSG’s arrival marks the first time the Ronald Reagan has entered the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO) since 2011.

“Ronald Reagan’s flexible presence is a key element in helping assure our regional partners that the United States remains committed to ensuring freedom of the seas,” said Capt. Fred Goldhammer, Ronald Reagan’s commanding officer. “The crew aboard Ronald Reagan seeks to preserve ‘peace through strength’ and remains ready to answer the call.”

While in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, the Ronald Reagan CSG will operate and train alongside regional and coalition partners, and provide airpower to protect U.S. and coalition forces as they conduct drawdown operations from Afghanistan.

"Our commitment to regional stability strengthens those we sail with and discourages anyone who would seek to disrupt international norms, no matter where we deploy in the world," said Rear Adm. Will Pennington, commander, Task Force 50, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5. "The Ronald Reagan carrier strike group has professional Sailors with unmatched capability. We will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows."

As an inherently flexible maneuver force, capable of supporting routine and contingency operations, the carrier’s presence demonstrates the U.S. Navy’s commitment to regional partners and maritime security.

Deploying units of the strike group, commanded by Pennington, include Ronald Reagan, Shiloh, Halsey, the embarked aircraft of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, and the embarked CTF 50 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 staffs.

The U.S. 5th Fleet AOO encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse is comprised of 20 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.

• Date Taken: 06.25.2021
• Date Posted: 06.25.2021 08:32
• Story ID: 399726
• Location: ARABIAN SEA