The Great Detour: Why the USS George H.W. Bush is Steaming Around Africa to Reach Iran
The USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is routing around the coast of Namibia, taking the "long way" to the Arabian Sea to avoid Houthi-controlled waters in the Red Sea. The massive detour comes as the U.S. bolsters its naval blockade against Iranian oil exports.
The U.S. Navy’s USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) Carrier Strike Group is currently sailing off the coast of Namibia in the South Atlantic after taking the long route around the African continent.
According to USNI News, the carrier and its escorts deliberately skipped the usual path through the Strait of Gibraltar, Mediterranean, Suez Canal, and Red Sea. Instead, they are routing the long way south, all to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where Iran-backed Houthi terrorists have repeatedly launched attacks on U.S. and commercial shipping.
The strike group includes:
The Bush deployed from Naval Station Norfolk at the end of March and is now heading toward the Arabian Sea to bolster the growing U.S. naval presence near the Strait of Hormuz amid the new blockade operations against Iranian oil exports.
This major detour adds thousands of extra miles and several days to the journey, but it keeps the carrier and its air wing safely out of range of Houthi missiles and drones during the current high-tension period in the region.