The two American carriers arrived in the region when China concluded its own set of naval exercises near a disputed chain of islands, an apparent synchronicity that was not lost on the Beijing state media, which broadcast reports boasting of the country’s disposition. to repel any attempt by the United States to challenge its claim (en.
Operating under the name of Nimitz Carrier Strike Force, the US carriers, USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan “conducted various tactical exercises designed to maximize air defense capabilities and extend the range of long-range precision sea attacks from aircraft carrier-based, “said a statement from the US Navy.
It is the first time that two American companies have operated together in the South China Sea since 2014 and only the second time since 2001, according to the lieutenant commander. Sean Brophy, a spokesman aboard the Reagan.
“These efforts support America’s enduring commitments to uphold the right of all nations to fly, navigate and operate where international law allows.” said a statement by the U.S. Navy.
While the US force was displaying the United States Independence Day holiday, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy was wrapping up five days of drills around the Paracel Islands, known in China as Xisha, a chain also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
Last Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry described its drills in the South China Sea as “within sovereignty and reasonable,” according to a post on the EPL website. Beijing claims that almost the entire 1.3 million-square-mile South China Sea is its sovereign territory and in recent years has built military fortifications on several islands.
As relations between the United States and China have continued to deteriorate over the course of this year, Washington has steadily increased the pace of its operations in the South China Sea, organizing Freedom of Navigation operations near Chinese-controlled islands. , conducting overflights by the US Air Force bombers and conducting joint naval operations with partners such as Japan and Singapore.
But the weekend’s deployment of the two carriers, each of which supports more than 60 planes, as well as guided-missile cruisers and destroyers, appears to be a clear statement that Washington is not giving up any influence in the region. to Beijing.
“Nimitz and Reagan form the most effective and agile combat force in the world, support the United States’ commitment to mutual defense agreements with regional allies and partners, and promote peace and prosperity throughout the Pacific Pacific,” the statement said. of the United States Navy.
Meanwhile, Beijing has characterized the United States’ presence in the region as destabilizing. “Some countries outside the region often travel thousands of miles to the South China Sea to participate in large-scale military activities and show their power, which is the fundamental reason that affects stability in the South China Sea.” , the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday.
A US advantage
U.S. analyst Carl Schuster, former director of operations at the U.S. Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, said dual-carrier exercises show the power that, at least for now, only the Navy has The USA.
China has only one fully operational aircraft carrier with one second close to that state. However, both do not have the size and capacity to carry as many aircraft as the two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, and those two carriers have just operated a third, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, in the nearby Philippine Sea. .
“The different scale of combat power demonstrated between the exercises of the People’s Liberation Army Navy and the United States Navy will be remarkable. That sends a military and geopolitical signal to China and the region,” Schuster said. “The United States Navy exercise shows who has the greatest potential power.”
Schuster noted that operating two carriers in the South China Sea may be a more complex operation than having three in the Philippine Sea.
“The Philippine Sea is an open ocean, while the South China Sea is peppered with competitive claims to air and sea space,” he said.
In addition to complexity, the US increased its firepower in current exercises with a B-52 bomber flying with fighter jets from carriers. The bomber flew 28 hours non-stop from its base in Louisiana to participate in the exercises, demonstrating the ability of the US Air Force to quickly move assets to critical points in the world.
“This departure demonstrates our ability to arrive from the station of origin, fly anywhere in the world and execute those missions, rapidly regenerate from an advanced operating base and continue operations,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Duff, commander of the 96th Squadron. of Pumps. in a sentence.
‘Paper tigers’
China, in the Global Times report, called US carriers “nothing more than paper tigers at the gates of China” and said that Beijing has more than enough firepower to defend its positions in the South China Sea.
“The South China Sea is completely within the reach of the EPL, and any movement of US aircraft carriers in the region is closely watched and led by the EPL, which has a wide range of aircraft carrier weapons such as the DF -21D and DF-26, which are considered ‘carrier killer’ missiles, “the Global Times report said.
“Any movement of US aircraft carriers in the region is for the pleasure of the EPL,” Global Times tweeted, along with images of the Chinese missile.
The United States Navy responded quickly:
“And yet there they are. Two @USNavy aircraft carriers operating in the international waters of the South China Sea. #USSNimitz and #USSRonaldReagan are not intimidated #AtOurDiscretion,” the US Navy chief of information tweeted. USA
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