Axios: USS Makin Island group with Marines departs San Diego for U.S. Central Command region
Axios reports that the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit have left San Diego for the area overseen by U.S. Central Command. The three-ship group carries about 2,200 Marines and around a dozen F‑35B jets, adding a mobile air-ground force to a region already under close U.S. military attention.
The United States is moving another amphibious force toward the area covered by U.S. Central Command, according to Axios. The outlet reported on 2 October that the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit have departed Naval Base San Diego for the command’s area of responsibility.
The group centers on three amphibious warships: the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island and the amphibious transport docks USS Anchorage and USS John P. Murtha. Axios said they will bring about a dozen F‑35B Lightning II fighter jets and around 2,200 U.S. Marines, along with other embarked aircraft and equipment typical of such deployments.
An amphibious ready group with an attached Marine unit gives U.S. commanders a combination of fixed-wing aviation, helicopters and embarked troops that can operate from the sea. From these ships, Marines can move ashore while aircraft conduct surveillance and strike missions in support of operations.
The Central Command area of responsibility stretches across several key maritime chokepoints and conflict zones, making the arrival of a large amphibious group a notable development in the U.S. military posture there. The Axios report did not specify the group’s detailed tasking or the exact route it would take after leaving San Diego.
For the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the deployment means an extended period embarked on the three warships, prepared for a range of missions that could include support to regional partners, maritime security operations or crisis response if ordered.
Analysts and regional governments will be watching for the first sightings or official mentions of the Makin Island group’s location, whether it is reported near the eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea, or the Gulf. Statements from the Pentagon on the group’s mission, as well as any announced port visits or exercises, will help clarify how Washington intends to use this force in the Central Command theater.
Sources
- OSINT