James Heappey suggested that when the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, often known as the Ike, is brought back to the United States, an aircraft carrier might be sent to the area to take its place.
Following attacks by the rebel group on commercial shipping interests in the Red Sea, the UK, together with the US, has initiated a series of airstrikes against Houthi targets in the region.
Latest from the Middle East: Iran threatens a firm defense against any assault
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was dispatched to the area in order to “deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel,” according to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The UK warship HMS Diamond is stationed in the Red Sea to protect shipping in the vital trading route.
Mr. Heappey proposed sending a UK aircraft carrier to the area to “plug a gap” in an interview with the House magazine.
“More carriers than the Ike can supply in the area is not really necessary in terms of carrier mass. He declared, “She’s a very capable ship.”
