❓WHAT HAPPENED: The United States has deployed three naval vessels, including two aircraft carriers equipped with F-35 stealth fighter jets, across the Western Pacific amid China’s growing maritime activity.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. Navy, China, Japan, and Vietnam.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The Western Pacific and South China Sea, with operations ongoing as of this week.
🎯IMPACT: The U.S. aims to counter China’s growing sea power and ensure freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region.
The U.S. Navy has acknowledged the deployment of two aircraft carriers—capable of launching F-35 stealth fighters—and an amphibious assault ship in the Western Pacific. Official photographs of the USS Abraham Lincoln describe the aircraft carrier as currently conducting “routine operations” in the U.S. 7th Fleet’s area of operations. However, its presence—along with the USS George Washington aircraft carrier and amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli—at sea in the Pacific is seen as a possible counter to the recent expansion of Chinese naval activity in the region.
Late last week, a sizable Chinese naval flotilla entered Pacific waters, with Australian military officials detecting the vessels “approximately 500 nautical miles north of Palau.” While the Abraham Lincoln departed San Diego in late November, its deployment appears to be in response to a Chinese naval buildup that has been ongoing for several months.
Meanwhile, the George Washington is currently continuing operations in the Philippine Sea. Previously, the aircraft carrier had briefly sailed to Guam before returning to its area of operation. The George Washington is expected to soon return to port in Japan for routine maintenance, with the Abraham Lincoln likely to replace it in the Philippines and South China Seas.
Joining the aircraft carriers is the USS Tripoli, currently carrying a contingent of F-35B jets. The amphibious assault ship and the cruiser USS Robert Smalls are presently at port in Da Nang, Vietnam, as part of a celebration of the 30th anniversary of U.S.-Vietnam relations.
The sudden uptick in U.S. Navy activity is likely part of the Pentagon’s ongoing efforts to maintain a strong naval presence in the region as a deterrent to any possible Chinese aggression against American allies. Notably, the U.S. 7th Fleet, responsible for maritime operations in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, boasts 50 to 70 vessels, 150 aircraft, and over 27,000 personnel. It is currently the largest forward-deployed fleet in the U.S. Navy.
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