WASHINGTON, March 27 (UPI) -- The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis entered the Persian Gulf Tuesday where it will conduct a joint exercise with the Dwight D. Eisenhower.
"This exercise demonstrates the importance of both strike groups' ability to plan and conduct dual task force operations as part of the U.S. longstanding commitment to maintaining maritime security and stability in this region," officials told the Armed Forces Press Service.
The air wings of the two carrier groups will conduct a joint exercise while surface ships will hold exercises in anti-submarine, anti-surface ship and mine warfare.
The Stennis was escorted by the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam.
The two carrier groups are in the Gulf at a time of increasing tension between the United States and Iran. On Saturday, the U.N. Security Council approved a new sanctions resolution that Iranian officials say is illegal, and Iran is also holding 15 British sailors, claiming they were in Iranian waters.
