Escorts Deploy Without USS Harry S. Truman as East Coast Carrier Shortage Persists

(US Naval Institute News) Megan Eckstein September 12 2019 4:44 PM Surface escorts from the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group left their home ports today to kick off an overseas deployment. Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) did not. After the carrier was sidelined at the end of August with a malfunction in the ships electrical distribution system engineers continue to assess the problem. The aircraft carriers repairs are progressing and all efforts are being made to deploy the carrier and air wing as soon as possible" according to a Navy statement to USNI News. The timeline for diagnosing the problem and fixing it remains unclear. In the meantime the surface ships in the strike group are forming their own surface action group and deploying with neither the carrier nor the air wing. Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Lassen (DDG-82) and USS Farragut (DDG-99) departed Mayport Fla. today and will be joined by Norfolk-based USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) and Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG-60) in the coming days. The SAG will be led by the Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28 and her staff along with elements of the carrier strike group staff. The SAG staff brought in about 15 additional personnel to make up for capabilities typically found on the carrier particularly in the areas of maintenance and technical support U.S. 2nd Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis told USNI News today in a telephone interview. The SAG will also take with it a detachment of MH-60R helicopters from Helicopter Maritime Squadron (HSM) 72 out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville Fla. This group is going to deploy more than likely to multiple regions and they are going with a much higher-end capability with helicopter detachments with significant anti-submarine warfare capability significant air defense capability as well as strike warfare capability" Lewis said. So really a full-up group minus the carrier and the air wing. But a full-up very capable group is going off to do the nations bidding in this great power competition." Lewis said this is the first time a SAG has deployed from the East Coast since 2006 and admitted it was an unusual and unfortunate situation to send a SAG in lieu of a full carrier strike group. But he said his job as a fleet commander is to be flexible and put forward the most war-fighting capability with the assets available to him.