The Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and the wasp class USS
Essex as well as their escort vessels entered the southern waters of the
south china sea on tuesday evening. According to Beijing-based Think
Tank the south china sea strategic situation probing initiative, which
monitors open source ship tracking information.
The US Navy has yet to announce its plans but the two major attack groups
are expected to join forces and probably operate together.
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The latest deployment comes just a few weeks after the PLA navy held
simultaneous drills for its two aircraft carriers, one in the south china
sea. It is also only three weeks ahead of the Beijing winter olympics and
the lunar new year, when china will be hoping to avoid a build-up of
military tensions in its backyard.
According the US Navy, the carl vinson strike group last week was in the
Celabus Sea, between the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, with nine
plane squadrons from carrier air wing 2 on board including one stealth
fighter F-35C in its team.
The group includes the ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Lake
Champlain and the destroyer squadron one, consisting of five arleigh burke
class guided missile destroyers.
The USS Essex amphibious ready group left its three and a half month mission
in the middle east last week and crossed the strait of Malacca from the
indian ocean over the weekend on its way to the exercise.
The USS Essex is accompanied by the amphibious transport dock USS Portland
and amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbour. The 11th marine
expeditionary unit and amphibious squadron is also taking part.
China's Kuznetsov Class aircraft carrier the Shandong has returned to its
home port in Sanya, on the southern island province of Hainan after
realistic combat-oriented exercises, including arrested landing of fighter
jets, damage control and maritime search and rescue in the south china sea
at the end of december.
Footage of the Shandong at Sanya was included in a state television report
on january 5th in which Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the opening of
this year's military training program.
Sister ship the liaoning has also returned to its home port of qingdao in
the eastern province of shandong, according to the PLA Navy. While the
shandong carrier was on south china sea exercises in december, the liaoning
was in the western pacific ocean. No US aircraft carriers were in the region
at the time.
