This morning, a USN Boeing P-8A took off from NAS Sigonella and conducted a long patrol over the Strait of Gibraltar. The mission was likely linked to the fact that earlier today the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) re-entered the Mediterranean Sea after leaving it a few weeks ago to take part in a NATO exercise in the North Sea.
The USS Gerald R. Ford CSG includes, among others, the cruiser USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) and the destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG-96). On board, the carrier embarks Carrier Air Wing 8, whose strike component is equipped with F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jets.
It is not yet clear what the carrier’s final destination is, but in the coming days it is expected to make a brief port visit to the Balearic Islands.
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