US Navy cruisers and destroyers assigned to the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group formed a surface action group (SAG) to deploy from their East Coast homeports of Norfolk, VA, and Mayport, FL, over the next several days.
The ships will be underway without the group flagship, aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.
The carrier is still in Norfolk, undergoing repairs after an electrical issue in August . The navy said the repairs are progressing, and all efforts are being made to deploy the carrier and air wing as soon as possible.
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) departed Mayport September 12, and will be joined by USS Farragut (DDG 99) and Norfolk-based Ticronderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) and guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) in coming days.
The command staff of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28 will lead the SAG, which also includes embarked helicopter detachments from Helicopter Maritime Squadron (HSM) 72, from Naval Air Station Jacksonville.
“This deployment demonstrates our navy’s inherent capability to maneuver and flex to accomplish the task at hand,” said Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, commander, US 2nd Fleet. “Our ships remain flexible, ready and capable to operate in multiple theaters supporting a variety of missions.”
This deployment is the latest test for the ships of Harry S. Truman carrier strike group ships. In 2018, the group became the first to undertake the dynamic force employment concept. The new method of operations prioritizes maintaining the capacity and capabilities for major combat, while providing options for proactive and scalable employment of the joint force.