US sends warships through South China Sea in latest transit
- USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group sailed into the disputed waters after mission supporting US withdrawal from Afghanistan
- It’s the second time they have entered the area this year and comes as tensions have been rising in the region
It will conduct flight operations, maritime strike operations, anti-submarine operations and tactical training while in the South China Sea, the statement said.
“We look forward to leveraging our recent out-of-area experience as we return to the South China Sea and our rapidly growing alliances and partnerships dedicated to the Indo-Pacific,” said Rear Admiral Will Pennington, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5.
The strike group is based at Yokosuka in Japan.
Commander of the USS Ronald Reagan, Captain Fred Goldhammer, said that as the mission continued in the South China Sea, “we remain vigilant and ready to answer the call”.
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The South China Sea dispute explained
This time, the USS Ronald Reagan entered the waterway via the Strait of Malacca on Friday, it was seen northwest of the Spratly Islands on Sunday, and on Monday was sailing through Verde Island Passage to the Philippine Sea, according to the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a think tank in Beijing.
“With USS Carl Vinson and HMS Queen Elizabeth, now we have three ‘US+UK’ aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific,” the SCSPI said in a tweet on Friday.
Meanwhile, China’s military has been carrying out training in the South China Sea over the weekend. The Sanya Maritime Safety Administration announced a no-go zone in waters off Hainan on Saturday and Sunday, and the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration also cordoned off areas where live-fire drills would be conducted in the South China Sea from Friday to Monday.