[STARWISE]

1/9/2007 HAWKEYE A plane director moves an E-2C Hawkeye, assigned to the “Tigertails” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125, into launch position aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jan. 8, 2007. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman David Danals

More U.S. ships are moving in to the waters off Somalia to reinforce the maritime interdiction effort there, said U.S. 5th Fleet officials. “Due to rapidly developing events in Somalia, U.S. Central Command has tasked USS Dwight D. Eisenhower to join USS Bunker Hill, USS Anzio and USS Ashland to support ongoing maritime security operations off the coast of Somalia,” said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Brown, a spokesman for 5th Fleet in Bahrain.

The ships will stop vessels and search them for al Qaeda terrorists attempting to escape from Somalia, officials said."

[El Gato]

USS Bunker Hill, USS Anzio and USS Ashland

The first two are Guided Missile Cruisers... not super useful, but they can provide support to blocking the terrorists from escaping by sea. The Ashland (LSD-48), is an amphibious assault ship. It carries Marines, and their equipment. It can operate the full spectrum of Navy and Marine helicopters as well. It can put the Marines and equipment ashore with the use of the LCACs shown below with the ship.