The US Navy has allowed reporters from several media outlets, including Nikkei Asia , to board the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson as it participates in exercises with Japan in the Philippine Sea on January 31.
The USS Carl Vinson was in formation with another US aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and the Japanese helicopter destroyer JS Ise. Nine other ships were also participating in the exercise, according to a statement from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
Two US aircraft carrier strike groups, USS Carl Vinson and USS Theodore Roosevelt, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force conduct exercises in the Philippine Sea on January 31.
In addition, the USS Ronald Reagan, the only forward-deployed U.S. aircraft carrier based in Yokosuka, Japan, is currently at home port, meaning three of the 11 U.S. carriers are in the Indo-Pacific. This appears to be the first time in two years that three U.S. aircraft carriers have been deployed near the so-called first island chain, which connects Japan’s Okinawa and Taiwan with the Philippines, according to the U.S. Naval Institute.
A Chinese naval spy ship was spotted 8 to 16 kilometers from the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, a US Navy official said. The Chinese ship is suspected of gathering intelligence on the capabilities and activities of the US and Japan during the exercise, according to Nikkei Asia .
Rear Admiral Christopher Alexander, commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, said that "it does not concern us that [Chinese naval] ships are here with us." He stressed: "At this time, we are here to strengthen our relationships with our allies and partners, and to demonstrate that we can respond to any crisis or contingency that may arise in the Western Pacific."
Previously, in November 2023, the US Navy also invited a number of media agencies to observe aircraft carrier exercises in the Philippine Sea, showing that they wanted the public to pay more attention to their activities in the Indo-Pacific, according to Nikkei Asia .
US destroyer passes through Taiwan Strait, China reacts
While the carrier deployment was reportedly finalized months ago, the series of exercises serves as a reminder that the US military is not ignoring the Indo-Pacific region as a regional war could erupt in the Middle East.
"It's a message of deterrence. This messaging will continue regardless of conditions elsewhere in the world because China is a growing threat," said Jeffrey Hornung, a senior political scientist at the Rand Corporation think tank.
In addition, expert Patrick Cronin, director of Asia-Pacific security at the Hudson Institute (USA), commented: "With the war in Europe and the risk of a broader conflict in the Middle East, the [US] Navy knows this is an important time to strengthen deterrence and reassure allies that the US is ready to act if its interests are threatened."
In the Middle East, the USS Dwight Eisenhower is the only US aircraft carrier to address rising tensions in the region. The USS Gerald Ford, which was deployed to the eastern Mediterranean, left the region in January and was replaced by the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan.
There is currently no information about the reaction of China or North Korea to the above move of the US.
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