The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) is sailing around the African continent and is expected to join a growing U.S. naval force in the Arabian Sea amid a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Axar.az reports, citing USNI, that the Bush, which deployed at the end of March, did not pass through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea—a typical route for East Coast-based carriers heading to the Middle East.

Instead, the carrier and its escort ships—USS Donald Cook (DDG-75), USS Mason (DDG-87), and USS Ross (DDG-71)—are sailing around Africa.

The path around Africa allows the carrier and its escorts to avoid transiting the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb, which were both hubs of activity for the Houthis in their drone and missile attacks on U.S. and commercial shipping in 2024 and 2025.

The carrier’s movement comes as the United States initiates a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following an announcement by President Donald Trump.