Little-known Marine battle group deployed from California to Middle East — here’s what they’ll do

Three warships from San Diego and more than 2,000 Marines heading to the Middle East may have a crucial role to play in the US fight against Iran.

The San Diego-based USS Boxer amphibious assault ship and two other ships comprising the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are en route to the region, the California Post previously reported, as President Donald Trump attempts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.

The deployed Marines had been training in Southern California’s Camp Pendleton in recent months, with families tearfully saying good bye recently as the troops departed.

The USS Boxer carrying the 11th Unit is part of what’s known as an Amphibious Ready Group, or ARG. Such groups consist of an assault ship, a transport dock and a support vessel, according to military news site Breaking Defense.

The unit itself is an impressive conglomeration of infantry, artillery, combat engineers, vehicles and aircraft.

The ARG-MEU combo “is the most versatile, flexible and lethal global response force the United States has to offer,” said Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith.

Smith added, in a speech last year reported by Breaking Defense, that the ARG-MEU has the potent ability to strike from range and return to the sea without the need to access resources on foreign land. The unit can wait off coasts for months and conduct attacks by air, sea and land, as the name suggests.

The highlight of the ARG deployed from Camp Pendleton is the assault ship USS Boxer. An 844-foot amphibious ship with roughly 30 years of service, the USS Boxer can function as an aircraft carrier for F-35B stealth fighters, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The stealth fighters can fly 1,200 miles per hour and are already being used in the Iran war, targeting Iranian air defense systems and infrastructure.

In addition to the stealth fighters, the USS Boxer also carries attack helicopters and contains a hospital.

The Trump administration has been eyeing Kharg Island located off the Iranian coast, The Post reported, that if invaded could deal a blow to Iran’s economy and help open up the Strait of Hormuz. ARGs like the USS Boxer are designed for missions like that, though it’s unclear where the San Diego deployment will go.

The US has also deployed another ARG-MEU to the Middle East, consisting of the Japan-based USS Tripoli, another amphibious assault ship, and two supporting ships.

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