According to images released by the Pentagon, the U.S. Navy’s USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) Carrier Strike Group has been redeployed to the South China Sea, operating within the area of responsibility of the U.S. Seventh Fleet. Prior to this, the carrier and its escorts visited Malaysia’s Port Klang as part of a scheduled port call.
Having departed from its homeport in San Diego, California, in mid-November en route to the Indo-Pacific region, the USS Carl Vinson and its accompanying ships have conducted several port visits and exercises over the past six weeks. This included a stop in Singapore during the Christmas holiday, followed by an initial deployment to the South China Sea. During this deployment, the USS Carl Vinson conducted flight operations, coordinated maneuvers, and freedom of navigation activities, as officially reported.
Subsequently, in the final days of December, the carrier made its second visit of this type to Malaysia in just over a month since 2012. This visit underscored not only the intention to deepen security ties but also to demonstrate a commitment to working together with a shared vision of a “free, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.”
The Carrier Strike Group includes the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Sterett (DDG 104) and USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110). The Vinson also carries personnel and aircraft from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) Two.
With this new deployment to the South China Sea, the U.S. Navy has now sent the CVN-70 to the region for the second time in a short period, maintaining one of its most advanced forward-deployed assets in Indo-Pacific waters. It is expected that in the coming weeks, the USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group will remain stationed in Southeast and Northeast Asia, as it is currently the only U.S. carrier operating in the region. The forward-deployed USS George Washington (CVN-73) remains in port in Yokosuka, Japan.
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