NORFOLK, Va. — The USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group and its 6,500 sailors will deploy early next week, according to an announcement from the U.S. Navy.

The Truman and Carrier Air Wing 1 will head to the Red Sea, where U.S. sailors have fought almost daily for months to down drones and missiles launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen.

Last December, the Truman rejoined the U.S. Second Fleet after a year-long maintenance cycle at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The aircraft carrier entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard on Dec. 7, 2022, for a “planned incremental availability” two months after returning from a nine-month deployment in response to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

The maintenance cycle saw modernization efforts, structural repair and preservation work to the weapons elevators, the flight deck and hangar bay, the main mast and exterior of the ship, as well as general repairs to the hull, mechanical and electrical infrastructure.

Other improvements focused on quality of life for sailors, such as enhanced gyms and WiFi.

In July, the USS Dwight Eisenhower returned from a nine-month deployment. It was the spearhead of U.S. counter efforts to keep international shipping lanes open in the Red Sea corridor that leads to the Suez Canal, despite violent attempts by Houthi rebels to disrupt trade in the region.

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