Amid reports of a war looming between Iran and the US, satellite data has hinted that the world's biggest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, will reach the Arabian Sea in four days. According to the Marine Traffic Ship tracking website, the Ford is expected to arrive in the region within the next four to five days, given its current location.
Though the US Navy maintains that the ship is currently in the Atlantic Ocean, independent military intelligence observers note that if the USS Gerald R. Ford keeps her current speed, she will be off the coast of Israel and be able to assist in the war against Iran by Sunday morning.
The Ford has a crew of about 4,500 soldiers and about 75 aircraft, including Boeing F-18s and helicopters. This is besides the over 50 American fighter jets, including F-35s, F-22 Raptors and F-16s, that were heading to the region on Tuesday evening. Dozens of tanker flights were recorded heading east, with one online military aviation tracker noting that "everything that can fly or refuel" is moving into the region.
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Among U.S. naval forces in the region is the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group, which includes the destroyers USS Michael Murphy, USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. and USS Spruance, positioned in the northern Arabian Sea.
The air wing aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln includes nine squadrons with about 90 aircraft and helicopters, including stealth jets, Super Hornets, Growlers, Seahawk helicopters for search and rescue and Osprey aircraft for logistical support.
Analysts predict that the combination of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group and the presence of the USS Abraham Lincoln indicates that Donald Trump is preparing a long-term military campaign against Iran. One US administration source stated that the likelihood of war in the coming weeks is now 90 per cent. A former head of Israeli intelligence noted that, in his opinion, a strike could occur within a few days.
Brig. Gen. Yuval Eylon, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and former head of the Israeli Navy’s Planning Directorate, told Israeli media Ynet that the Americans have decided to lay all the cards on the table so they can act as they see fit. “But in the end, it’s not about how many assets are in the region, but about the objectives and capabilities of the task force,” he added.
Meanwhile, Iran is reportedly rushing military and domestic preparations for possible US strikes if nuclear negotiations collapse. Leaders are dispersing command authority via “mosaic defence,” hardening nuclear sites (Isfahan, Pickaxe Mountain tunnels), deploying IRGC naval units to the Strait of Hormuz, and conducting air-defence drills, according to reports.