9 facts about USS Harry S. Truman, the US aircraft carrier visiting Gosport this week

Here are a few facts about its history and operations.

- USS Harry S. Truman was christened in September 1996 and was commissioned into the US navy in July 1998.

- The ship was named after the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman.

- Three workers from the carrier's shipbuilders died during construction when a pump room filled with methane and hydrogen sulfide gases during a sewage leak in 1997. They are commemorated by a brass plaque on the carrier. 

- It embarked on its maiden deployment in November 2000 and since then has supported a number of operations around the world.

- The aircraft carrier was initially the flagship for Carrier Group Two and later for Carrier Strike Group Ten. Since 2014 it has led Carrier Strike Group 8.

- In 2016 it was reported that an unarmed Iranian drone had flown over the carrier and taken '˜precise photos'. The US military said the incident posed no threat to the carrier.

- USS Harry S. Truman has received a number of awards '“ including the prestigious Battle Effectiveness Award in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2014.

- Recently the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG) '“ which includes the aircraft carrier '“ has been operating in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility in the North Sea between Scotland and Norway.

- The strike group spent time this summer on a scheduled deployment in the Middle East and Europe. The carrier returned to the US in July and left for the Western Atlantic on August 28.