U.S. moves carrier to Middle East

The Pentagon is sending the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower and its strike group of a cruiser and destroyers to the Middle East in an effort to deter others from escalating the Israel-Hamas conflict

USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
Nimitz-class carrier Length: 333m Aircraft: 65+
Armament: NATO Sea Sparrow and Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launchers, Phalanx CIWS*
Displacement: 88,000 tonnes
Speed: 30+ knots Crew: 5,680
Propulsion: Two nuclear reactors

                           
GUIDED-MISSILE CRUISER: Ticonderoga-class
Length: 173m Helicopters: 2
Propulsion: Four gas turbines
Armament: 2 x 127mm guns, Tomahawk missiles, Standard surface-to-air and ASROC anti-submarine missiles, Mk-46 torpedoes, CIWS Displacement: 9,750 tonnes Speed: 30+ knots Crew: 364
   
GUIDED-MISSILE DESTROYERS: Arleigh Burke-class (at least two)
Length: 154m 
Helicopters: 2
Propulsion: Four gas turbines
Armament: 127mm gun, Tomahawk, Standard and ASROC missiles, Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles, Mk-46 torpedoes, CIWS
Displacement: 9,000 tonnes 
Speed: 30+ knots Crew: 329
       
ATTACK SUBMARINE: Virginia-class (assumed presence)
Length: 115m
Propulsion: One nuclear reactor 
Speed: 25+ knots Crew: 132
Armament: Tomahawk missiles, Mk-48 torpedoes
Displacement: 7,925 tonnes

Sources: ABC News, U.S. Navy *Close-in weapon system © GRAPHIC NEWS