Reportedly, for the first time since 2017, the US Navy has
positioned three of its aircraft carriers on the doorstep of the disputed South
China Sea, as tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to soar. The dispatch to the Western Pacific of the three vessels was
likely intended to send a message to China that, despite the ongoing
coronavirus pandemic, the United States military would continue to maintain a
strong presence in the region.
According to reports, two of US Navy’s ships, USS Theodore
Roosevelt and USS Nimitz carrier strike groups had begun dual carrier
flight operations in the Philippine Sea.
The two strike groups were scheduled to conduct air defense
drills, sea surveillance, replenishments at sea, defensive air combat training,
long-range strike drills, coordinated maneuvers and other exercises.
“This is a great opportunity for us to train together in a
complex scenario,” said Rear Adm. Doug Verissimo, commander of Carrier Strike
Group 9. “By working together in this environment, we’re improving our tactical
skills and readiness in the face of an increasingly pressurized region and
COVID-19.”
While it was not clear where in the Philippine Sea the US
carriers were operating or where they would head to next — the Luzon Strait
between Taiwan and the Philippines is the entryway into the flash point South
China Sea.
Beijing claims much of the South China Sea, though the
Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims in the
waters where the Chinese, US, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies
routinely operate.
The US Navy has angered Beijing by regularly conducting
training and so-called freedom of navigation operations close to some of the
islands China occupies in the waterway, including its man-made islets,
asserting that freedom of access is crucial to international waterways.
Washington has lambasted Beijing for its moves in the
waterway, including the construction of the man-made islands, some of which are
home to military-grade airfields and advanced weaponry.
The US fears the outposts could be used to restrict free
movement in the waterway, which includes vital sea lanes through which about $3
trillion in global trade passes each year.
Chinese state-run media lashed out last week as news emerged
that the three carriers were simultaneously operating in the Pacific. In a
report, the hawkish Global Times said that the deployment could put
Chinese troops at risk.
“By massing these aircraft carriers, the US is attempting to
demonstrate to the whole region and even the world that it remains the most
powerful naval force, as they could enter the South China Sea and threaten
Chinese troops on the Xisha and Nansha islands as well as vessels passing through
nearby waters, so the US could carry out its hegemonic politics,” the report
quoted Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie as saying.
The Xisha and Nansha Islands are the Chinese names for the
Paracel and Spratly chains in the South China Sea. But the report also said
that China could counter the US by holding its own naval drills in the waters
at the same time, Li said.
It also highlighted the weapons at Beijing’s disposal,
notably mentioning its “wide range of weapons designed to sink aircraft
carriers,” including the DF-21D “carrier killer” and DF-26 “Guam killer”
ballistic missiles.
The US military has in recent months grappled with the
coronavirus as it battled to maintain its formidable presence in the Western
Pacific, while both reassuring allies and preventing China from capitalizing on
any perceived opening.
The Navy has rebounded after cases of COVID-19 were detected
on some of its ships, including infections aboard all three carriers currently
in the Philippine Sea, with many of the hard-hit vessels returning to action.
“Our operations demonstrate the resilience and readiness of
our naval force and are a powerful message of our commitment to regional
security and stability as we protect the critically important rights, freedoms,
and lawful uses of the sea for the benefit all nations,” said Rear Adm. James
Kirk, commander of Carrier Strike Group 11.
US carriers have conducted dual carrier strike group
operations in the Western Pacific, including in the South and East China seas
and Philippine Sea for several years, according to the navy. These operations
typically occur when strike groups deployed to the 7th Fleet area of operations
from the US West Coast link up with the forward-deployed carrier strike group
from Yokosuka.
This month’s deployment to the Pacific is the largest since
2017, when the US sent three carriers to the region amid tensions with
nuclear-armed North Korea.
