Stennis r Group Departs on a Mission to the Persian Gulf

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Stennis r Group Departs on a Mission to the Persian Gulf

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by Tamir Eshel | on July 24th, 2011

The USS C. Stennis (CVN-74) is scheduled to deploy tomorrow from its

homeport of Bremerton, Washington. The aircraft carrier is on its way to the

western Pacific Ocean and the Persian Gulf for a seven-month deployment. Her

last voyage in the Western Pacific was in 2009. The Stennis is the flagship of

r Strike Group 3, (CSG-3), and commands the group's air wing r Air

Wing 9. CSG 3 also operates five surface combatants, including the CG-47 class

missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG-54) and the DESRON-21 squadron operating four

DDG-51 type destroyers – USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG-108), USS Dewey (DDG-105), USS

Kidd (DDG-100), and USS Milius (DDG-69) as well as the USS Jarrett (FFG-33)

frigate.

The 97,000 ton Nimitz Class carrier is powered by two nuclear reactors

accelerating the vessel to speeds up to 30 knots. The ship carries about 90

aircraft assigned to nine squadrons operating under `r Air Wing 9'

(CAG-9). The wing operates four F/A-18C/D Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

squadrons, EA-6B electronic combat aircraft, E-2C Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning

aircraft, C-2 Tracker transport planes and MH-60S/R Sea Hawk maritime

helicopters.