For the first time since 2017, the US has three aircraft carriers patrolling the Pacific, part of Washington’s efforts to increase its footprint in the region to confront China. The USS Theodore Roosevelt, the USS Nimitz, and the USS Ronald Reagan are all leading strike groups in the Indo-Pacific.
The deployments are likely a show of force by Washington to quash rumors that the Navy is crippled by coronavirus. The USS Theodore Roosevelt was docked in Guam to deal with an outbreak on board, until it set sail again on June 4th.
The Associated Press reported on the deployments on Friday and quoted a US commander as saying he was “fired up” to see such a show of force. “Carriers and carrier strike groups writ large are phenomenal symbols of American naval power. I really am pretty fired up that we’ve got three of them at the moment,” Rear Admiral Stephen Koehler, director of operations at Indo-Pacific Command, said.
The strike groups are seen as a provocation towards China. The US regularly sails warships near contested islands in the South China Sea and through the Taiwan Strait. Last week, the US military flew an airplane over Taiwan, an act Beijing denounced as “illegal” and “seriously provocative.”
US now has three aircraft carriers patrolling the Pacific.
The deployments are likely a show of force by Washington.
The strike groups are seen as a provocation towards China.
Rear Admiral Stephen Koehler ” I really am pretty fired up ”
The U.S.S Empire is sinking and steered by brainless morons.
According to the article linked, “The other four are in port for maintenance.”
The entire operational supercarrier fleet consists of…. three carriers.
China must be concerned indeed. They are wondering where the sub are…
A single carrier strike group disposes of ordnance that can uncork more explosive power in a few minutes than was unleashed by all sides over the entirety of World War Two. Three of them would likely be sufficient to handle anything short of all-out war with a future improved version of China’s armed forces.
hooray for the team!
Which “team” would that be? Personally, I’d much rather the US didn’t have the military capabilities it has. Doesn’t mean I’m going to pretend it doesn’t have them.
Yeah, but they have to get in the first shot….
The latest new aircraft carrier witch cost 13 billion, was delivered way over time & budged and without elevators, now 5 of the planned 11 elevators are build, but now the catapult has broken down.
The F-35 can`t fly at supersonic speed for more than 40 sec. otherwise the stealth coating falls of.
The list is endless.
The Ford class carrier loos don’t work either; apparently the pipes were too small. That’s going to be a costly fix, and probably the dumbest and most debilitating problem. If everything else worked, the ship would still be unlivable.
However, carriers are just expensive decoys in a shooting war against a serious opponent. China expects its anti-ship missiles to take care of any carriers.
Subs are what matter. Of course, the Columbia Class is already projected to exceed budget, going from $100-128 billion, just as construction is starting…
A railway links China to Europe, Russia and all the countries ending in stan. Plus Iran and southeast Asia.
China earns enough with the railway to loan pentagon cash for more aircraft carriers and such. What a dumb plan.
Gunboat diplomacy only goes so far. If the US makes enough waves in the South China Sea, I believe any rational cargo vessel or oil tanker captain will avoid the area for fear of being caught in the crossfire. The incremental cost, in terms of the cost of fuel and the lengthy delays will be astronomical, and will have a crippling effect on several nations (without any negotiations about their concerns). This will not end well for anybody.
Because nothing pulls a county out of severe depression like a good old-fashioned war. At least, that’s what people are supposed to think. I hope the CEO’s of the companies building the US war machine saved some of their billions for really deep bunkers.