Bremerton carrier heads to Middle East

The USS John C. Stennis left its homeport of Bremerton on Tuesday headed for the Middle East, where it — along with another U.S. aircraft carrier — will patrol the Persian Gulf area in response to Iran's aggressive posture in the region.

The Stennis strike group, which was previously in line to deploy to the Pacific, will augment another Navy task force in Mideast waters led by the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, Cmdr. Kevin Aandahl of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain said.

The Stennis will stop in San Diego to pick up an air wing of more than 80 planes, including F/A-18 Hornet and Superhornet fighter-bombers, the Navy said. The Stennis carrier strike group of eight ships and nine air squadrons could arrive in Mideast waters in a matter of weeks, after crossing the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday that Iran and other U.S. adversaries believe the U.S. is vulnerable in Iraq, where the Pentagon is preparing to send more than 20,000 additional troops as part of a new security plan that envisions a crackdown on Iranian-backed militias.

The Stennis also could shore up air cover for U.S. and NATO ground troops in Afghanistan, now relying on about 20 ground-based warplanes after the Eisenhower was sent to the Somali coast.