US NAVY ON ALERT: Iran-backed Houthis ADVANCE along Red Sea coast

S. ON TRADE. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. JON: MEANTIME, SAILORS ON THE. USS GEORGE WASHINGTON ARE ON. HIGH ALERT IN THE ARABIAN SEA. READY TO SUPPORT OPERATION EPIC. FURY. 25 YEARS AGO THE CARRIER. LAUNCHED HUNDREDS OF FLIGHTS TO. HELP DEFEND NEW YORK'S SKIES. AFTER THE ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER. 11TH, 2001. WELL, TODAY THE CREW IS WATCHING. IRAN AND ITS HOUTHI ALLIES, THOSE FIGHTERS HAVE PUSHED SOUTH. ALONG YEMEN'S COAST THIS WEEK. THAT ADVANCE PUTS THEM IN. POSITION TO THREATEN A CRITICAL.

SHIPPING ROUTE AT THE ENTRANCE. TO THE RED SEA. CHIEF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT TREY. YINGST IS ABOARD THE USS GEORGE. WASHINGTON WITH MORE FOR US. TREY. >> Reporter: YEAH, JON, GOOD. AFTERNOON. TENSION REMAINS HIGH ACROSS THE. MIDDLE EAST WITH THE U.S. NAVAL. BLOCKADE IN EFFECT. CENTCOM SAYS THEY'VE NOW. REDIRECTED 100 COMMERCIAL. VESSELS, THEY HAVE BLOCKED. IRANIAN PORTS, BUT THE IRANIANS. ARE STILL TRYING TO HIT WARSHIPS. IN THIS AREA. THAT'S PART OF THE REASON THAT.

THE U.S. NAVY REMAINS ON ALERT. HERE TO ABOARD THE USS GEORGE. WASHINGTON. EARLIER TODAY WE VISITED A. GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER THAT IS. HELPING TO PROTECT THIS AIRCRAFT. CARRIER. TAKE A LOOK. A NAVY SEAHAWK HELICOPTER DEOR. PARTS THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON. ITS SHADOW DRAGGING ALONG THE. FLIGHT DECK. RIGHT NOW WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO A. GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER THAT IS. PART OF A GROUP OF SHIPS HELPING. TO PROTECT THE USS GEORGE. WASHINGTON. FROM THE WINDOW OF THE CHOPPER, THE USS SHOOP COMES INTO VIEW.

THE DESTROYEYER IS ONE OF FOUR. OTHERS WITH A CLEAR MISSION, PROTECT THE MOTHER SHIP. >> MY SHIP IS IN CHARGE OF. COORDINATING A DEFENSE AMONGST. THE VARIOUS OTHER UNITS. ALLOCATING DEFENSIVE ASSETS. THAT, POTENTIALLY, A MISSILE TO. SHOOT SOMETHING DOWN OR JUST. AIRCRAFT TO GO AND IDENTIFY AND. MONITOR THE PICTURE. >> Reporter: ONBOARD ARE A. VARIETY OF WEAPONS SYSTEMS. INCLUDING A STOCKPILE OF. TOMAHAWK MISSILES. WITH JUST OVER 0 TO 0 SAILORS. ONBOARD -- 300, THE USS SHOOP. CAN ONLY HANDLE A FEW INCOMING.

HELICOPTERS EACH DAY, BUT DON'T. LET THE VESSEL'S SIZE FOOL YOU. WHEN IRAN ATTACKS, IT'S OFTEN. THE SMALLER YET MIGHTY SHIP THAT. IS FIRST TO ENGAGE. >> THE CREW IS READY AND. EQUIPPED TO RESPOND AS QUICKLY. AS NECESSARY BEING ABLE TO. SUCCESSFULLY PROVIDE DEFENSE FOR. THE STRIKE GROUP. WE STAND READY TO CONTINUE TO DO. SO. >> Reporter: YOU CAN HEAR THE. ACTIVITY ON THE FLIGHT DECK. BEHIND ME. THERE'S CURRENTLY A HELICOPTER. IN PLACE, BUT DURING NIGH TIME.

OPERATIONS YOU'LL SEE --. NIGHTTIME OPERATIONS YOU'LL SEE. A VARIETY OF FIGHTER JETS, F-15. AND F-35s, TAKING OFF FROM. THIS VERY FLIGHT DECK. IT'S MORE THAN THREE FOOTBALL. FIELDS LONG, AND THERE ARE MORE. THAN 5,000 SAILORS ABOARD THE. USS GEORGE WASHINGTON. JON: WE SHOULD POINT OUT TO OUR. VIEWERS YOU LOOKING COLORFUL. BECAUSE OF THE RED LIGHTS THAT. ARE USED TO ILLUMINATE THE DECKS. AT NIGHT, RIGHT? >> REPORTER: YEAH, EXACTLY. THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY.

WHITE LIGHT OUT HERE ON THE. DECK. THIS IS A VESSEL AMONG MANY. OTHERS IN THIS AREA OF OPERATION. UNDER DIRECT THREAT FROM THE. IRANIAN REGIME X SO THEY TRY TO. KEEP AS LOW OF A PROFILE AS. POSSIBLE TO TRY TO KEEP THESE. PILOTS FOCUSED ON THEIR MISSION. TAKING OFF FROM THE AIRCRAFT. CARRIER. JON: YEAH. A LOT OF ARMAMENT BEHIND YOU. READY TO GO IF NEEDED. TREY.