- The US is sending USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship, to the Middle East along with roughly 2,500 Marines to help defend against Iran and its attacks on the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports.
- Tripoli will reportedly join the Gerald R. Ford and Abraham Lincoln warships in the fight against Iran. The ship was located in the Philippine Sea earlier this week with the USS San Diego (LPD-22) and USS New Orleans (LPD-18), which makeup the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group, though its unclear if its companion ships are being sent to the Middle East.
- Tripoli was commissioned on July 15, 2020 and was the second America-class amphibious assault ship built for the United States Navy. The ship’s name recognizes the U.S. Marine Corps’ victory at the Battle of Derna during the First Barbary War in 1805.
- The ship is 844 feet in length, has a displacement of approximately 44,000 long tons, and is capable of operating at speeds of over 20 knots.
- Tripoli’s enhancements compared to previous ships include a reconfigurable command and control complex, an enhanced medical bay, and numerous aviation support spaces and a significant increase in her available stowage for parts and support equipment. The ship was intended to integrate the entire future air combat element of the U.S. Marine Corps to include the F-35B Lightning II aircraft.
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