Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered more warplanes and Navy ships to the Middle East to maintain U.S. presence in the region as an aircraft carrier strike group is preparing to leave, the Pentagon announced Friday.

Austin ordered additional ballistic missile defense destroyers, a fighter squadron and tanker aircraft, and several Air Force B-52 long-range strike bombers to the region, press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.

“These forces will begin to arrive in coming months as the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group prepares to depart,” he added.

Ryder did not say how many American forces will be in the region with the........

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