Latest news with #U.S.SeventhFleet-which
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
US Aircraft Carrier Returns to South China Sea
The United States nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has been tracked returning to the contested South China Sea, where China's sovereignty claims cover most of its waters. With regard to the Nimitz's operations in the South China Sea, the Japan-based U.S. Seventh Fleet-which maintains America's naval presence in the Western Pacific Ocean-previously told Newsweek that the warship "provides presence and combat-ready forces to the theater." Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. The Nimitz-the oldest U.S. aircraft carrier in active service-has been on deployment to the Western Pacific Ocean since departing from its home port in Washington in late March. This is likely its final overseas deployment before a scheduled retirement in May next year. The carrier arrived in the South China Sea in early May and operated there for two weeks before sailing into the Strait of Malacca-a waterway linking the South China Sea with the Indian Ocean-raising speculation about a possible deployment to the Middle East. The Nimitz's return to the South China Sea comes as China continues to assert its territorial claims in the region, often leading to confrontations and clashes with neighboring maritime forces, including the Philippines-a major U.S. ally protected by a mutual defense treaty. Following a call at Malaysia's Port Klang-near the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur-the Nimitz and its escorting destroyer, USS Curtis Wilbur, departed the port on Saturday afternoon local time, heading back to the Strait of Malacca. The aircraft carrier hosted Malaysian naval officers during its stay, photos released by the U.S. Navy show. It was the second port call of the Nimitz's deployment, following a stopover in Guam-America's westernmost territory in the Pacific Ocean-in mid-April. Open-source ship-tracking data from the online service MarineTraffic shows the carrier sailed southward to Singapore after its departure. The last trackable position places the warship in the waters northeast of Singapore in the South China Sea as of Monday. While the Nimitz returned to the South China Sea for operations, its sister ship, the Japan-based USS George Washington, was also underway on Sunday in waters near the Northeast Asian country, marking a dual U.S. aircraft carrier deployment in the Western Pacific Ocean. In addition to the Nimitz and the George Washington, the U.S. amphibious assault ship USS America-another Japan-homeported U.S. warship-was dispatched to the Philippine Sea last week. It is also capable of carrying fighter jets allowing it to effectively serve as an aircraft carrier. The U.S. Seventh Fleet previously told Newsweek: "Assets assigned to U.S. [Seventh] Fleet operate alongside allies and partners every day to deter aggression and maintain security in the Indo-Pacific." A U.S. Navy photo caption regarding the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz's visit to Malaysia reads: "Nimitz is conducting a port call in the U.S. [Seventh] Fleet area of operations on a scheduled deployment, demonstrating the U.S. Navy's unwavering commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific." It remains to be seen whether the Nimitz, the George Washington, and the America will assemble somewhere in the Western Pacific Ocean for joint operations in the coming weeks. Related Articles Satellite Image Shows US Air Power Buildup at Island Base Near IranRussia Attacks Trump's Golden Dome ProjectIran Unveils Next-Level Warfare Drones Amid Tensions With Show New US Missiles Sent to China's Doorstep 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Miami Herald
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Satellite Photo Shows US Aircraft Carrier at China's Doorstep
Latest satellite imagery shows that the United States aircraft carrier USS Nimitz continues to operate in the South China Sea, where China's sovereignty claims cover most of the waters. Regarding the Nimitz's deployment in the South China Sea, the U.S. Seventh Fleet-which maintains U.S. naval presence in the Western Pacific Ocean-previously told Newsweek that the nuclear-powered ship "provides presence and combat-ready forces to the theater." Newsweek has also reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. The U.S. Navy has the largest aircraft-carrier fleet in the world, with 11 vessels in service. They are regularly deployed overseas to demonstrate America's "unwavering commitment" to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, where China is challenging U.S. naval dominance. Tensions persist in the South China Sea as China's sovereignty claims-based on what it calls "historic rights"-overlap with those of neighboring nations, including the Philippines, a U.S. defense treaty ally, leading to standoffs and clashes at sea between the two sides. Open-source intelligence researcher @MT_Anderson said on X (formerly Twitter) that the Nimitz and its two escorting destroyers were spotted underway in the southern part of the South China Sea, about 310 miles west of Brunei on Tuesday, based on a satellite image. In a press release, the U.S. Navy confirmed that the aircraft carrier remained in the South China Sea, where it held a change-of-command ceremony for its carrier strike group on Wednesday. Commissioned in 1975, the Nimitz is the oldest American aircraft carrier in active service. It departed from its home port-Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington-in late March for a deployment in the Western Pacific Ocean, likely on its final mission before retirement. Following its deployment in waters east of the Philippines, the Nimitz reached the South China Sea as early as May 3 and was seen underway west of Luzon in northern Philippines. Besides the Nimitz, a second U.S. aircraft carrier, USS George Washington, is stationed in the Western Pacific Ocean. As of Friday, it remained at its Yokosuka home port in Japan, according to a local government website that tracks port visits by U.S. nuclear-powered warships. The U.S. Navy said: "[Nimitz Carrier Strike Group] is operating in the U.S. [Seventh] Fleet area of operations. U.S. [Seventh] Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region." Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said: "The current situation in the South China Sea is generally stable. There isn't any problem with the freedom of navigation and overflight that countries enjoy in accordance with the law." It remains to be seen whether the Nimitz will be redeployed from the Western Pacific Ocean to the Middle East, where two of its sister ships are currently stationed amid regional tensions. Related Articles China's Space Projects on US Doorstep Have Military WorriedPhotos Show How North and South Korea Train Special ForcesPanama Asks Trump to Clean Up Mess Left From Biden-Era Migration SurgeMap Shows US Nuclear Base Hidden Under Greenland's Ice Since Cold War 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
