The US Navy’s Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) has successfully completed a composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX), performing various military exercises prior to a future deployment.
The exercise involved several warfare scenarios, such as simulated surface, air, undersea, strike, and electronic attacks.
In addition, HSTCSG performed simulated search and seizure scenarios, live-fire evolutions, and strike group formations.
USS Harry S Truman commanding officer captain Ryan B Scholl said: "As the Strike Group’s Flagship, we are the central node and the focal point to the entire exercise.
"Together, we’ve conquered every challenge by communicating, planning and acting as a team, each ship, each aircraft and their sailors brought their expertise, making us a powerful combat force."
The successful completion of the exercise marks the strike group’s deployment readiness and the ability to fight and defend itself.
HSTCSG is expected to be deployed late this year and will include the aircraft carrier Harry S Truman (CVN 75), Carrier Air Wing 7, guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio (CG 68), Destroyer Squadron 28, and guided-missile destroyers Gravely, Bulkeley, Gonzalez, and Ramage.
According to USS Gravely commanding officer Alysa Ambrose, one of the best aspects of the training was the anti-terrorism and force protection exercises that permitted watchstanders to work together to assess and neutralise incoming threats.
Ambrose said: "It has built a strong sense of camaraderie and teamwork both on the ship and between ships."
The navy recently tested an unmanned aircraft system aboard its guided-missile destroyer USS Gonzalez during COMPTUEX.
The newly tested RQ-20A Puma (Block II) is the latest version of the all-environment unmanned aircraft models.
Image: Gunner’s Mate Seaman Apprentice J. Hahn cleans the mount of a .50-calibre machine gun aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. Photo: courtesy of U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman J. Tolbert/Released.
