Huge Navy warship formerly homeported in San Diego will transport Marines to Middle East – San Diego Union-Tribune

A huge amphibious warship that was homeported in San Diego until it was shifted to Japan last year reportedly will help transport about 2,500 Marines to the Middle East to bolster U.S. forces involved in the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, according to the Associated Press.

The troops belong to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is based in Okinawa. The move indicates that the Trump administration is considering using ground forces. So far, large Marine units at Camp Pendleton, north of Oceanside, have not been dispatched to the Middle East.

The 844-foot USS Tripoli is an amphibious assault ship that’s often called a “mini” aircraft carrier. It is possible that it will deploy with the 684-foot USS San Diego, an amphibious transport dock vessel that also was homeported in San Diego until last year. The two ships have operated together over the past year. The Tripoli also operated with the USS New Orleans, another amphibious transport dock ship. That vessel was homeported in San Diego from 2007 to 2019.

The three ships have been operating as an amphibious ready group, or ARG. The New York Times reported Friday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is seeking to send a three-ship ARG to the Middle East, led by the Tripoli. It was not clear whether he wanted all three of these vessels.

ARGs are designed to rapidly deploy where they’re needed. They specialize in amphibious assaults but also are used for other purposes, including providing humanitarian assistance.

The Tripoli is roughly 250 feet shorter than the Navy’s Nimitz-class carriers. But it’s known for its firepower, which includes F-35 stealth fighter jets. The ships also carry a variety of helicopters.

The Tripoli, San Diego and New Orleans have been operating in the Philippine Sea, according to the U.S. Naval Institute, and will now move on to the Middle East to assist the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, which is in the Red Sea, according to the institute. The San Diego-based USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is operating in the Arabian Sea and has played a lead role in air attacks on Iran.