The second is \u201cProject Freedom,\u201d which President Donald Trump announced Sunday and initiated Monday to help trapped merchant ships exit the Arabian Gulf and restart the flow of in-demand commerce across the strait.<\/p>\n
Iran has disrupted a significant portion<\/a> of global transports in that major waterway since late February, largely in response to Operation Epic Fury<\/a>. Oil prices have subsequently surged worldwide.<\/p>\n Cooper emphasized at Monday\u2019s press conference that Project Freedom is \u201cinherently a defensive operation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He said that the U.S. is not formally escorting individual ships. Instead, the military has built up a multi-layered buffer that includes aircraft, watercraft, airborne early warning systems and electronic warfare assets to help neutral vessels complete their transits.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are employing U.S. ballistic missile defense-capable destroyers, over 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms \u2014 meaning under the sea, on the sea, and from the air \u2014 and then 15,000 service members to extend this defensive \u2018umbrella\u2019 across the Strait of Hormuz to protect our forces and also, as committed, to defend commercial shipping,\u201d the commander said.\u00a0<\/p>\n In and around the strait, the U.S. has now concentrated A-10s, F-15s, F-16s, F-18s, F-35s, EA-18 Growlers, RC-135s, KC-46s and KC-135 fixed-wing aircraft and numerous U.S. warships, including destroyers, two carrier strike groups, an amphibious readiness group, and the Marine Expeditionary Unit.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cooper also told reporters that AH-64 Apache and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters were \u201cused just this morning to eliminate six Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping.\u201d<\/p>\n Centcom has contacted dozens of shipping companies and commercial vessels to encourage traffic over the last 12 hours. Cooper said the news has been \u201cquite enthusiastically received.\u201d<\/p>\n He denied reports<\/a> made by Iranian state media earlier on Monday alleging that its military had struck two U.S.-flagged ships.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have gone through the strait. As we sit here right now, we have multiple U.S. Navy guided missile destroyers operating in the Arabian Gulf. And those destroyers that are not just there for themselves, they\u2019re there to help protect commercial shipping,\u201d Cooper said. \u201cThey\u2019ve done so already in their part of this broad, air defense \u2018umbrella\u2019 that includes helicopters, as I described, and fighter planes \u2014 as well as ISR.\u201d<\/p>\n The commander declined to answer questions about the types and distances of the missiles and drones that Iran has fired at military and commercial ships, but said there have been no injuries to U.S. personnel reported in the Project Freedom operations so far.<\/p>\n Though he wouldn\u2019t supply much detail, Cooper also noted that the U.S. deployed \u201cexquisite technology\u201d and \u201clow-observable capability\u201d over the past several weeks to clear out underwater mines<\/a> and create a pathway through the strait.<\/p>\n \u201cWe used our own military technology in a unique way to clear a free lane that\u2019s not obstructed in any way, shape, or form through the strait,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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