NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The USS Bataan (LHD 5) is scheduled to return to its homeport of Naval Station Norfolk on July 18, marking the end of a seven-month deployment.
The amphibious assault ship left in December, pre-pandemic, and made its way to the U.S. 2nd, 5th, and 6th Fleets as part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG).
During its deployment, Navy officials said “the ship participated in numerous interoperability and partnership-building exercises with allies and partners in both the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleets.”
The ships of the ARG navigated over 50,000 nautical miles and completed multiple straits and choke point transits, including the Strait of Gibraltar, the Suez Canal, the Bab-el Mandeb, and the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier this week, the first ship from the ARG, USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) returned to Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek on July 15.