The US is sending a ton of firepower to take on Iran - here's everything headed their way

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The US is sending a ton of firepower to take on Iran - here's everything headed their way

An F/A-18E Super Hornet from the

US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jeff Sherman

An F/A-18E Super Hornet from the "Fist of the Fleet" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 25 launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72)

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  • In response to the threat of a possible attack on US forces by Iran, the US military decided to send additional firepower to the Middle East, an area of responsibility overseen by US Central Command.
  • This includes an aircraft carrier with a full carrier air wing, one cruiser, four destroyers, and a group of heavy bombers.
  • The US has said it will respond to any Iranian attack on US interests with "unrelenting force."
  • VIsit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The US military is sending a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East as a show of force to Iran. There is a ton of firepower heading that way.

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which consists of the carrier and its powerful carrier air wing, as well as one cruiser an four destroyers, is moving into the region together with an unspecified number of B-52 Stratofortress heavy long-range bombers, according to US Central Command.

These assets, according to CENTCOM, are being deployed in response to "clear indications that Iranian and Iranian proxy forces were making preparations to possibly attack US forces in the region." This is in addition to strategic assets already in the area.

Read more:Why the US suddenly decided to send an aircraft carrier and bombers to check Iran

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Aircraft Carrier: USS Abraham Lincoln

Aircraft Carrier: USS Abraham Lincoln

Chief of Naval Admiral John Richardson previously described aircraft carriers as "tremendous expression of US national power." A carrier strike group is an even stronger message. "CSGs are visible and powerful symbols of U.S. commitment and resolve," US European Command said in a statement Tuesday.

The USS Abraham Lincoln, a mobile, sea-based airfield, is the lead ship for the carrier strike group that bears its name and is outfitted with a highly-capable carrier air wing.

Carrier Air Wing: Fighters, electronic attack aircraft, early warning aircraft, and rotary aircraft

Carrier Air Wing: Fighters, electronic attack aircraft, early warning aircraft, and rotary aircraft

Carrier Air Wing 7 consists of F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft, E-2 Hawkeye early warning aircraft, and a number of rotary aircraft from multiple squadrons capable of carrying out a variety of operational tasks.

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Cruiser: USS Leyte Gulf

Cruiser: USS Leyte Gulf

Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers are multi-role warships that run heavily armed with 122 vertical launch system cells capable of carrying everything from Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles to surface-to-air missiles to anti-submarine warfare rockets.

4 Destroyers: USS Bainbridge, USS Gonzalez, USS Mason and USS Nitze

4 Destroyers: USS Bainbridge, USS Gonzalez, USS Mason and USS Nitze

Like the larger cruisers, destroyers are also multi-mission vessels. Armed with 90 - 96 VLS cells, these ships have air-and-missile defense capabilities, as well as land-attack abilities.

Early in the Trump presidency, two US Navy destroyers devastated Shayrat Airbase with 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles to punish the Syrian regime in the aftermath of a chemical-weapons attack.

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Bombers: B-52s

Bombers: B-52s

The B-52 is a subsonic high-altitude bomber capable of carrying nuclear and conventional payloads. These hard-hitting aircraft can carry up to 70,000 pounds of varied ordinance and can be deployed to carry out various missions, including strategic attack, close-air support, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations.

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