An additional force of U.S. warships and an attached Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is set to deploy to the Middle East amid ongoing combat operations against Iran, The Epoch Times has learned.
The USS Boxer amphibious ready group (ARG) and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), currently based out of San Diego, California, are set to sail across the Indo-Pacific region to reach the waters of the Middle East, according to a U.S. military source familiar with the matter.
A combined ARG and MEU can consist of around 5,000 sailors and Marines. These additional troops would join around 50,000 U.S. troops already deployed to the Middle East as joint U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran continue.
An MEU would include amphibious landing and logistical capabilities to launch and support a ground combat component. It would also include air combat units, such as attack helicopters and specialized short takeoff aircraft, such as the AV-8B Harrier II or F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter.
In addition to the USS Boxer, the amphibious dock landing ship USS Comstock and the amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland have been observed operating in recent pre-deployment training exercises with 11th MEU components.
Prior to the start of hostilities with Iran, President Donald Trump ordered two carrier strike groups to the region as well as dozens of additional strike and support aircraft.
Thus far, no U.S. ground troops have entered combat with Iranian forces.
Following a closed-door intelligence briefing on March 10, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said, “We seem to be on a path toward deploying American troops on the ground in Iran.”
When asked during a White House press conference on March 19 if he was sending more troops to the Middle East, Trump said, “No, I’m not putting troops anywhere. If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.”
Even if Marine ground components from the 31st and 11 MEUs are not sent into combat, air combat components from those two units could fill in for other U.S. strike aircraft damaged or lost over the course of the conflict.
A Pentagon official has confirmed that around 10 unmanned MQ-9 Reaper drones have also been shot down amid the ongoing hostilities.
