The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) entered the South China Sea this week as part of a final strategic deployment before returning to the United States, following more than eight months of operations at sea.
The Carl Vinson Strike Group—which also includes the cruiser USS Princeton (CG-59), the destroyer USS Sterett (DDG-104), and the logistics vessel USNS Guadalupe (T-AO-200)—transited the Strait of Malacca and subsequently the Singapore Strait on Wednesday, thus entering the disputed waters of the South China Sea. According to maritime tracking data (AIS), the group was observed near the Japanese destroyer JS Asahi (DD-119), although it is not confirmed whether the latter was operating jointly with the U.S. group.
This movement comes amid growing regional tensions, especially around Taiwan, where the island’s Armed Forces are conducting their annual Han Kuang military exercise, aimed at preparing a potential response to a Chinese invasion.
In parallel with the Carl Vinson‘s advance, Japan has reported multiple reconnaissance flights by Chinese aircraft and drones near Taiwan. The Japanese Joint Staff identified incursions by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Y-9 ELINT electronic intelligence aircraft in international airspace near the Yonaguni, Miyako, and Okinawa islands, prompting the deployment of fighters from Japan’s Southwestern Air Defense Command.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense reported that in just 24 hours, 58 aircraft from the People’s Liberation Army, along with nine Chinese Navy ships and one China Coast Guard vessel, operated around the island. Of those incursions, 45 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, entering various sectors of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
The return of the USS Carl Vinson marks the conclusion of a 241-day deployment—one of the longest for a Nimitz-class carrier based on the U.S. West Coast. In its final stages, the strike group bolstered the U.S. naval presence in the Middle East, in response to Houthi rebel attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran. Before entering the area of responsibility of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the group made a strategic stop at Guam.
Although it remains unconfirmed how long the group will remain in the South China Sea or whether port visits will be conducted, its presence in the region sends a clear deterrent message in a context shaped by strategic competition between Washington and Beijing.
Images for illustrative purposes only.
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