SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: We've had some excellent engagements with leaders in Israel, Bahrain and Qatar. Of course, it's great to be with our outstanding troops.
We see, as we've gone from place to place, the quality of troops that are in our ranks today.
As a reminder, on October 7th, Hamas launched a vicious attack on Israel. The next day, the Department of Defense started to surge significant capabilities into the Middle East, to send a strong message that no state, no individual actor or no group should try to consider exploiting the situation to expand the conflict.
And our message to them is very simple, don’t.
And here on the Ford, you can see how strong that message is. You can see the combat power that -- that we have available to be able to project on a very short timeline, to anywhere in the world.
The Ford Carrier Strike Group and its sailors are the embodiment of the U.S. commitment to regional stability and security. And the impressive capabilities that this carrier and the strike group provides gives our country options to respond to a wide range of contingencies.
Our brave men and women who serve aboard the Ford have had quite the first deployment, a brand new ship, as you know. They started out in the European AOR, and then they transited to the eastern Mediterranean. And after October 7th, they moved a little closer.
So I know the holidays are coming up, and these sailors and Marines, instead of being home with their families and friends are upholding our commitment to regional security, sending a strong message of deterrence and keeping Americans safe at home.
So I wanted to be here to personally thank them for all of their great work, their hard work, their professionalism, their sacrifices and sacrifices on behalf of their families who support them day in and day. And they couldn't do what they do without those families that really serve our country well.
Again, from just being around these sailors, being around the airmen and the soldiers that I've been around this week, you see the quality of troop that we have in our ranks. And that is what makes America great.
This is the newest carrier in the inventory. And by the way, we're moving right now. And you don't know we're moving because this ship is so well-designed that -- that, you know, it's incredible. And just talking to the leadership and the crew here, they're really proud of this platform.
Now, the platform alone that is, you know, isn't what makes us great; it's the people that -- that manage the platform.
But with that, let me just take a couple questions.
STAFF: We'll start with Phil.
Q: You have already extended the Ford's deployment three times. Are you prepared to keep it here until there's a transition in Israel away from high-intensity combat to a next phase?
SEC. AUSTIN: I feel like, as you would expect, I won't speculate on, you know, what we'll do in the future. What I will tell you is that we have the ability to project combat power anywhere in the world, at any time that we choose, on a moment's notice.
And again, you can see how quickly the Ford was able to deploy here. And it made a difference when it deployed here. And so what we do in the future, you know, again, as you know, I don't talk about those things.
STAFF: Let's go (to here.
Q: Sir, you talked about the value of deterrence the Ford represents. And yet you also talked in the remarks today about the increasing fire -- crossfire with -- in northern Israel, between Hezbollah and the Israelis. You talked about the increased attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. Just how tenuous is this deterrent (inaudible)?
SEC. AUSTIN: Well, you know, one of our goals is to make sure that the crisis in -- in Gaza doesn't expand to a regional conflict, and I think we've done a good job of managing that. And you will see, you know, from time to time things like cross-border exchanges between the Israelis on their northern border and Hezbollah, that's gone on before and it'll probably continue to go on in the future but maybe not to the volume that we're seeing today.
But certainly we were concerned, are concerned about, you know, a conflict or the crisis spreading to the wider region, but to date, I think we have done a really good job of preventing that from happening. We'll stay focused on that in the future.
Q: And should the Israelis be able to transition to a lower intensity combat and also reduce the chances of a wider regional conflict?
SEC. AUSTIN: I think if that happens, when that -- it's hard to speculate but I think, you know, it -- it's logical that -- that we would see some of that, we would see some reduction in activity. But again, that's speculation.
I think what's important right now is that we focus on doing everything we can to get humanitarian assistance in to the Palestinians, we do everything we can to reduce the amount of civilians that are being injured in the battle space, and we do everything we can to maintain the crisis in the confines of Gaza and not allow things to spread to a full blown crisis across the region.
STAFF: Last question will go to (inaudible).
Q: Mr. Secretary, I'm wondering if you could give us an update on Operation Prosperity Guardian (inaudible)?
SEC. AUSTIN: That -- we do have a number of countries that continue to come in and offer, you know, assistance in this overall effort. I think that will continue to grow going forward. And in terms of, you know, who specifically has come on board here in the last couple of hours or the last day, you know, I won't -- I'll let the countries announce for themselves who's doing what but I expect for, you know, this group to grow.
You know, I just spent -- you may know, yesterday, I was in Bahrain, and while in Bahrain, I conducted a virtual ministerial with about -- over 40 ministers and the -- 40 countries, and the focus was on freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Strait. And there's no question in my mind that this is very important, not only to the countries in the region but globally.
You know, what the Houthis are doing affects commerce around the globe. You know, some 10 to 15 percent of global commerce flows through the Red Sea and through the straits. So freedom of navigation is important to, again, countries around the globe. And I think we'll see increased participation going forward.
Q: Has your office considered striking the Houthis to deter future attacks on commercial shipping?
SEC. AUSTIN: My message -- our message -- the international message to the Houthis is they need to cease and desist this irresponsible and dangerous behavior. And again, that's the message we're hearing from the international community.
This is not an issue between two countries or, you know -- or three countries, this is a global issue. It's irresponsible behavior, dangerous behavior, and they need to desist.