Operations

Epic Fury: US assembles unmatched joint force in Middle East

2026-04-23

An unprecedented US three-carrier armada commands Middle Eastern waters to display unmatched joint force firepower during Operation Epic Fury.

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An F/A-18E Super Hornet prepares to launch from the flight deck of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) during Operation Epic Fury, March 14, 2026. [US Navy]
An F/A-18E Super Hornet prepares to launch from the flight deck of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) during Operation Epic Fury, March 14, 2026. [US Navy]

The US military has assembled a massive three-carrier armada in the Middle East to demonstrate American resolve during Epic Fury.

The formidable naval force features the advanced USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the powerful USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), and the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77).

This historic naval concentration receives heavy reinforcement from the versatile 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), creating a highly lethal combined fighting force.

The massive fleet carries three full carrier air wings that command the regional skies with more than 220 advanced strike aircraft.

Pilots fly the versatile F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters and the specialized EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft to jam enemy communications and radar systems.

Radar operators use the advanced E-2D Hawkeye command aircraft to track incoming threats and direct friendly jets during complex combat missions.

The advanced USS Ford brings cutting-edge F-35C stealth fighters, while the Marine unit contributes the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variants.

Operating at maximum surge tempo, these four combat aviation groups can generate between 700 and 800 combat sorties every single day.

Twelve surface combatants, including three Ticonderoga-class cruisers and nine Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, provide incredible firepower for the joint strike force.

Each of these surface warships carries 50 Tomahawk Block V cruise missiles, for a combined total of 600 land-attack weapons.

Covert Virginia-class submarines operate silently from submerged positions to add hundreds of additional cruise missiles for a massive simultaneous multi-axis attack.

The advanced Block V missile features a specialized stealth coating that makes the weapon nearly undetectable to modern enemy radar systems.

This missile flies over 1,000 miles, and changes targets mid-flight to destroy moving enemy convoys and warships at any time of day.

Air Force bombers deliver bunker busters and long‑range missiles, while elite 82nd Airborne units deploy within 18 hours to secure critical objectives on the ground.

The coordinated deployment of these overwhelming sea, air and land assets demonstrates the unmatched global reach of the American military.

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