Latest news with #MatthewComer
Newsweek
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Deploys F-15 Fighter Jets To Defend Indian Ocean Outpost
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jets have been deployed to Diego Garcia to protect its assets on the Indian Ocean island, it has been reported. A U.S. official told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the aircraft had been sent to the island to provide force protection, without specifying how many planes had been sent. Military online magazine The War Zone said at least four of the aircraft had been sent to protect assets there, which include B-52H bombers. Newsweek has contacted the Pentagon for comment. F-15 Eagle fighter jets fly over the race course during the 129th Boston Marathon on April 21, 2025, in Boston, Massachusetts. F-15 Eagle fighter jets fly over the race course during the 129th Boston Marathon on April 21, 2025, in Boston, It Matters Part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, Diego Garcia is a strategic operating location for the and U.K. and U.S. militaries. It hosts Space Force operations and is a key port for U.S. Navy vessels, including nuclear submarines, and shelters a Sealift Command Prepositioning Ship Squadron. TWZ reported the U.S. is stepping up its defense of the island amid a growing threat from Iran and its regional proxies, with Tehran commissioning vessels that can launch ballistic and cruise missiles as well as long-range kamikaze drones. What To Know U.S. Air Force F-15 fighters were deployed to Diego Garcia to protect the assets there, CDR Matthew Comer, chief of media and current operations, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Public Affairs, told the The War Zone. The website cited an unnamed source as saying a contingent of at least four of the fighter jets had been sent to protect assets, which include B-52H bombers, five KC-135 tankers, a C-17 cargo plane and a white-colored airliner. It said that satellite imagery taken on Friday showed the planes although it was not clear whether they were F-15C/D Eagles, which the U.S. Air Force is steadily retiring, or F-15E Strike Eagles. An unusually large force of six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers started arriving on the island in March. The aircraft subsequently conducted strikes on Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, TWZ reported. While the remoteness of the island was a natural barrier for adversaries, Iran has posed a growing threat in recent years with Tehran demonstrating missile and drone capabilities, including launchers in standard shipping containers. U.S. Command has paused its military campaign, Operation Rough Rider, against the Iranian-backed Houthis earlier this month. During the campaign, the Houthis fired on U.S. ships and aircraft and downed at least seven U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones. The USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier lost two F/A-18s off its deck and the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier was also deployed to the region. What People Are Saying CDR Matthew Comer, spokesperson for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told The War Zone: "The F-15s are deployed providing force protection." What Happens Next There are not many details about the deployment of the F-15s but the U.S. appears to be protecting its military assets on Diego Garcia. After President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would stop its bombing campaign against Houthis, he has left open the possibility of still using force against the Tehran-backed group.
LBCI
12-02-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
First US Navy ships sail through Taiwan Strait since Trump's inauguration
Two U.S. Navy ships sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait this week in the first such mission since President Donald Trump took office last month, drawing an angry reaction from China, which said the mission increased security risks. The U.S. Navy, occasionally accompanied by ships from allied countries, transits the strait about once a month. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, says the strategic waterway belongs to it. The U.S. Navy said the vessels were the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and Pathfinder-class survey ship, USNS Bowditch. The ships carried out a north-to-south transit February 10-12, it said. "The transit occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that is beyond any coastal state's territorial seas," said Navy Commander Matthew Comer, a spokesperson at the U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command. "Within this corridor all nations enjoy high-seas freedom of navigation, overflight, and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to these freedoms." China's military said that Chinese forces had been dispatched to keep watch. "The U.S. action sends the wrong signals and increases security risks," the Eastern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army said in a statement early Wednesday. China considers Taiwan its most important diplomatic issue and it is regularly a stumbling block in Sino-U.S. relations. Reuters
Al Arabiya
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
First US Navy ships sail through Taiwan Strait since Trump inauguration
Two US Navy ships sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait this week in the first such mission since President Donald Trump took office last month, drawing an angry reaction from China, which said the mission increased security risks. The US Navy, occasionally accompanied by ships from allied countries, transits the strait about once a month. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, says the strategic waterway belongs to it. The US Navy said the vessels were the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and Pathfinder-class survey ship, USNS Bowditch. The ships carried out a north-to-south transit February 10-12, it said. 'The transit occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that is beyond any coastal state's territorial seas,' said Navy Commander Matthew Comer, a spokesperson at the US military's Indo-Pacific Command. 'Within this corridor all nations enjoy high-seas freedom of navigation, overflight, and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to these freedoms.' China's military said that Chinese forces had been dispatched to keep watch. 'The US action sends the wrong signals and increases security risks,' the Eastern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army said in a statement early Wednesday. China considers Taiwan its most important diplomatic issue and it is regularly a stumbling block in Sino-US relations. China this week complained to Japan over 'negative' references to China in a statement issued after a meeting between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. That statement called for 'maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait', and voiced support for 'Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organisations'. Asked in Beijing on Wednesday about the US warships, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said that Taiwan was a 'core interest' for the country and that the United States should act with caution. 'We are resolutely opposed to this and will never allow any outside interference, and have the firm will, full confidence and capability to uphold the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity,' she said. Taiwan's defence ministry said its forces had also kept watch but noted the 'situation was as normal'. The last publicly acknowledged US Navy mission in the strait was in late November, when a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flew over the waterway. The last time a US Navy ship was confirmed to have sailed through the strait was in October, a joint mission with a Canadian warship. China's military operates daily in the strait as part of what Taiwan's government views as part of Beijing's pressure campaign. On Wednesday, Taiwan's defence ministry said that it had detected 30 Chinese military aircraft and seven navy ships operating around the island Taiwan President Lai Ching-te rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwan's people can decide their future.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
US Navy confirms 'routine' Taiwan Strait transit
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy confirmed on Tuesday two of its ships carried out a Taiwan Strait transit, calling it routine despite an angry reaction from Beijing. The Navy said the vessels were the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and Pathfinder-class survey ship USNS Bowditch. The ships carried out a north-to-south transit February 10-12, it said. "The transit occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that is beyond any coastal state's territorial seas," said Navy Commander Matthew Comer, a spokesperson at the U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. "Within this corridor all nations enjoy high-seas freedom of navigation, overflight, and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to these freedoms."
Al Jazeera
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
China says US naval patrol of Taiwan Strait poses security risk
China's military has accused the United States of engaging in risky behaviour in the Taiwan Strait after two US naval ships transited the international waterway. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) said it had monitored the movements of the USS Ralph Johnson, a naval destroyer, and the USNS Bowditch, a survey ship, as they moved through the waterway between Monday and Wednesday. 'The US action sends the wrong signals and increases security risks,' the Eastern Theatre Command of the PLA said in a statement on Wednesday. 'Troops in the theatre are on high alert at all times and are resolute in defending national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability,' Eastern Theatre spokesperson Colonel Li Xi said. The US Navy later confirmed the movement of the two vessels through the strait, which they described as 'routine' exercises. 'The transit occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that is beyond any coastal state's territorial seas,' said Navy Commander Matthew Comer, a spokesperson at the US military's Indo-Pacific Command. 'Within this corridor, all nations enjoy high-seas freedom of navigation, overflight, and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to these freedoms,' Comer said. US naval ships regularly conduct freedom of navigation exercises through the 180km-wide (111 miles) Taiwan Strait, although the navy's patrol this week was the first of its kind since US President Donald Trump took office in January. China claims the Taiwan Strait as domestic territory, although the UN Law of the Sea caps 'territorial waters' at 12 nautical miles (22km) from the coastline. US allies also occasionally take part in similar navigation exercises through the Taiwan Strait. The last two confirmed missions by the US Navy were an air patrol in November and a joint patrol of the Strait in October by US and Canadian naval ships. Naval ships from France, the Netherlands and Japan's Self Defense Force also passed through the Strait last year. In addition to the Taiwan Strait, China also claims sovereignty over Taiwan, a self-governed democracy of 23 million people, and regularly sends air and naval ships, and occasionally drones and balloons, in the direction of the island. Known as 'grey zone' activity, these tactics are intended to intimidate Taiwan and test its defence capability. Since 2022, Beijing has regularly staged military exercises in the Taiwan Strait to signal its anger at Taipei for engaging in high-level meetings with US officials.
