US Navy aircraft carrier going head-to-head with the Houthis has its planes in the air 'constantly,' strike-group commander says
- Business Insider went aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which has been combating Houthi threats.
- The aircraft carrier has planes in the sky “constantly,” the strike group’s commander said.
- Keeping aircraft ready for missions is a substantial effort with a lot of moving parts.
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It is loud, hot, and busy on the flight deck of the Ike, a deployed US Navy aircraft carrier which has heavily armed fighter jets taking off and landing around the clock.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is a lead ship in the Navy’s response to the Houthis, and its aircraft have been involved in striking the Iran-backed rebels directly in Yemen and intercepting threats in the air. Business Insider saw operations firsthand during a visit to the nuclear-powered Nimitz-class carrier.
For the crew of the Eisenhower, keeping its planes ready — and airborne — is a robust operation and no easy feat, the carrier strike group’s commander said.