Barran Press
Despite repeated, what the US Navy calls "false claims" from the Houthi group, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of the oldest aircraft carriers in the US Navy, remains combat-ready, according to an Associated Press report.
The Houthis and their online supporters have repeatedly claimed to have struck, or even sunk, the carrier in the Red Sea. Eisenhower is leading the US response to ongoing Houthi attacks on commercial and military vessels in the vital waterway.
The carrier's commanding officer, Captain Christopher "Chodah" Hill, has become a focal point of online interest as the campaign continues. The AP report highlights the new level of information warfare the Navy is engaging in, facing its most intense battles since World War II while trying to maintain morale among the nearly 5,000 personnel onboard the Eisenhower, with munitions ready and its reach extending far and wide.
"We've supposedly been sunk two or three times in the last six months (in misinformation), which has not happened... It's almost comical at this point. Maybe they're trying to inspire themselves through misinformation, but it's not working on us," Hill told the AP during a visit to the carrier.
The AP's visit, along with other journalists, was part of the Navy's effort to counter Houthi claims about attacks. During their nearly day-and-a-half onboard, journalists, accompanied by sailors, toured the length of the nuclear-powered ship, which measures 1,092 feet (332 meters).
The AP reporters also circled the Eisenhower from the air in a Seahawk helicopter. No signs of blast damage, holes, or breaches were visible on the giant deck, only the smell of jet fuel, oil-stained puddles, and the roar of engines before their F/A-18 fighter jets took off.
According to the AP, the other half of the information warfare effort has been Hill himself. While Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has used the carrier's name in his speeches while making false claims about it, Hill has been consistently sending positive messages online about the sailors onboard.
After a false Houthi claim, Hill responded by posting pictures of cinnamon rolls and cookies from Eisenhower's bakery, a subtle jab at the claims.
"The primary goal of that is to connect with families and bring the ship closer to them... So if I can post pictures of sons and daughters, husbands and wives, or even parents, and get them out there, it makes the family closer to us," Hill said. "That's our support network. But it also serves another purpose because everyone's watching to see what we're doing."
Hill particularly enjoys posting about "Taco Tuesday," or the consumption of tacos onboard the ship, according to the AP.
"We're gonna celebrate Taco Tuesday because it's my favorite day of the week. That's never gonna end," the captain said. "If you want to call that an information warfare campaign, you can. It's just who I am, you know, at the end of the day."
According to the AP, the Eisenhower and its allied ships have made a port visit during its eight-month rotation so far, to Greece. One sailor, Lieutenant Joseph Herl from Raleigh, North Carolina, wore a patch that read, "Go Navy, Beat the Houthis."
"The daily pressure of knowing that we're being shot at definitely gives a reality to the whole experience that this isn't a normal deployment," Herl said.
Meanwhile, munitions remain a concern. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told the Senate Armed Services Committee in May that the Navy has spent at least $1 billion on weapons to fight in the Red Sea.
Every commander on the Eisenhower who spoke to the AP acknowledged the Navy is trying to use the right weapons against the Houthis, whose asymmetrical warfare has led them to use much cheaper munitions.
Currently, the Eisenhower continues its patrols alongside the aircraft carrier USS Philippine Sea, a cruiser, and two destroyers, the Gravely and the Mason.
Hill says his sailors remain ready to fight and will continue to do their jobs.
Since last November, the Houthi group has launched missile and drone attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, leading to increased maritime insurance costs and causing many shipping companies to opt for the much longer route around the southern tip of the African continent.
In December 2023, the US, a key ally of Israel, formed a multinational coalition to protect maritime traffic from attacks by the group designated as a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, US forces periodically conduct strikes against Houthi military targets.