WASHINGTON, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Navy said Monday that it is currently operating two carrier strike groups in the Mediterranean Sea, in a rare flex of muscle unseen since 2016.

"The John C. Stennis CSG joined the Abraham Lincoln CSG in the Mediterranean, providing a unique opportunity for two strike groups to work together alongside key allies and partners in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations," the U.S. Navy said in a statement.

"It's a rare opportunity to train with two carrier strike groups together," Vice Admiral Lisa Franchetti, commander of U.S. 6th Fleet, said in the statement.

U.S.S. John C. Stennis was deployed from Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton on Oct. 15, 2018 and U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln from Naval Station Norfolk on April 1, 2019. The carriers are in the midst of a homeport shift, with Stennis eventually heading to Norfolk and Lincoln heading to San Diego.

This is the first time that two carriers have operated in the Mediterranean Sea at the same time since the summer of 2016, when the Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman CSGs were deployed to the region simultaneously.

The U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, operates in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. Enditem

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