US Sails Amphibious Assault Ship Into South China Sea

A US aircraft carrier drilled with Malaysia in the South China Sea on Tuesday and Wenesday

The US continues to escalate tensions in the South China Sea by stepping up its military presence in the region. According to the South China Sea Probing Initiative, a US amphibious assault vessel sailed into the disputed waters early on Thursday.

Satellite data showed the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island and the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego entering the South China Sea through the Strait of Malacca. US Indo-Pacific Command wrote on Twitter on Thursday that sailors on board the USS Makin Island were participating in a “live-fire training exercise.”

The presence of US amphibious ships in the region is just the latest of many military provocations from Washington in the region. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt conducted exercises with Malaysia’s Air Force in the South China Sea.

Also on Wednesday, the guided-missile destroyer USS John McCain steamed through the Taiwan Strait, marking the fourth time the Biden administration sent a warship through the sensitive waterway.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.