USS Harry S. Truman Visits Greece as Houthis Pause Red Sea Attacks

The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and her escort the guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham arrived at a U.S. Naval Support base on Crete yesterday, February 6, for some well-deserved R&R and maintenance after two months of intensive activity in the Red Sea area fighting the Houthi militants. The port visit was made possible as the Gaza ceasefire has continued to hold since January 18 and the attacks on the U.S. forces and merchant shipping in the Red Sea were suspended.

The U.S. Navy highlights the carrier was in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility since December 14 when the Turman arrived with the Dunham as well as the guided-missile destroyer USS Stout and guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg. The U.S. reports the group conducted “multiple self-defense strikes” against the Houthis in Yemen and on February 1 also conducted airstrikes against ISIS-Somalia in Africa.

The Houthis asserted that they increased the targeting of U.S. forces in the days leading up to the ceasefire going into effect. They claimed eight attacks against the Truman using missiles and drones. Spokesperson Yahya Saree asserted in social media posts that the attacks forced the carrier group “to leave the theater of operations.” CENTCOM did not acknowledge the attacks on the carrier but did report multiple occasions when the cruiser and destroyers shot down missiles or drones.

The Truman deployed on September 23 heading first to the North Sea and made a port call in Oslo, Norway before heading to the Mediterranean in November. She made a port call in Marseille, France before deploying for the first time since March 2020 into CENCOM’s area of responsibility.

The Truman arrived at Souda Bay on Crete on February 6. She is docked at the US Naval Support Activity Center Souda Bay for what the Navy describes as a “working port visit.” The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group also visited Souda Bay in April 2024 after leaving the Red Sea and what the Navy describes as “the most intense period of sustained combat activity for the U.S. Navy since World War II.” The Eisenhower carrier group started the mission arriving in the Red Sea area in November 2023.

 

Italian frigate providing close protection to containerships in the Red Sea on January 31 (EUNAVFOR Aspides)

 

“The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group remains the most adaptable and lethal presence in theater,” said Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander, of the carrier strike group. “This port visit provides the opportunity to reset and focus on maintenance for maximum readiness ahead of future operations.”

While the attacks have stopped against merchant ships, the operations continue in the Red Sea. The Italian frigate Federico Martinengo transited the Suez Canal in late January to join the EUNAVFOR Aspides operation. It was reported she conducted a protection mission on January 31 including escorting containerships from CMA CGM and again on February 5 protecting containerships from CMA CGM and Linea Messina.

Major carriers have said that they believe it is still too soon for a return to the Red Sea. The Houthis said they would pause most attacks as long as the ceasefire remained in place in Gaza but that they would continue to target ships associated with Israel. Maersk in its earning report issued yesterday speculated on scenarios of a mid-year or end-of-year return to routing through the Red Sea.