In addition to a vast array of firepower, the Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG) provides key ballistic missile defense (BMD) capabilities via its accompanying surface ships.

The Truman CSG in September deployed to the US Naval Forces-Africa/US Sixth Fleet area of operations as part of a regularly scheduled deployment.

The CSG includes the Nimitz-class USS Truman, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Stout.

US Navy CSGs are typically accompanied by one or two Virginia-class fast attack submarines.

As of December 2, the strike group was in the Mediterranean after completing operations with allies and partners in the Norwegian Sea, according to USNI News.

The USS Gettysburg and the USS Stout provide the CSG with BMD.

Like all Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers, both the USS Stout and the USS Gettysburg have the Aegis Combat System, which consists of advanced command and control and Anti-Air Warfare and Anti-Submarine Warfare systems as well as the all-weather, long-range Tomahawk Weapon System.

The Aegis BMD system, an expansion of the Aegis Combat System that enables the ships to intercept ballistic missiles, includes sensors, interceptors and command and control.

In addition to intercepting theater-range ballistic missiles, the Aegis BMD system can pass on detection and tracking data to other US BMD systems designed to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Aegis ships use the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) and the SM-6 to intercept ballistic missiles.

The SM-3 is designed to intercept ballistic missiles above the atmosphere in their midcourse phase, while the SM-6 is designed to intercept ballistic missiles inside the atmosphere during their terminal phase.

US naval ships equipped with Aegis BMD have been key in engaging and defending against threats in the Middle East.

The USS Arleigh Burke and the USS Carney in April became the first US guided-missile destroyers to fire the SM-3 in combat.

The two ships launched four to seven SM-3s to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles off the coast of Israel.

The USS Cole and USS Bulkeley destroyers in October also fired dozens of interceptors as part of the US response to an Iranian ballistic missile attack while deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.