As a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran was on hold, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Pendleton, aboard ships of the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, departed Pearl Harbor on April 1. The group also includes the amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland and the dock landing ship USS Comstock.
Donald Trump ordered the US Navy to commence a full blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on 12 April, which was already practically blocked by Iran. Two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy, transited the Strait of Hormuz “to begin the process of establishing a new passage, and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” stated Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM. The US military said additional assets, including underwater drones, would participate in the operation in the coming days.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Carl M. Levin, deployed to the Gulf, is also equipped with a drone countermeasure system. The installed launcher is designed to deploy eight Coyote Block 1 interceptor drones, optimised to destroy drones weighing 9-600 kg through close-proximity detonation. On 16 April, CENTCOM claimed that the US Navy had warned 13 vessels not to enter the Strait of Hormuz, and they complied without using force.
However, it is interesting to observe that the 48th Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce, which comprises the Type 052D destroyer Tangshan and the Type 903A replenishment ship Taihu, carried out training in the Gulf of Aden. The taskforce conducted exercises such as day-and-night helicopter sorties, main gun firing, and floating mine clearance.
by David Oliver
