Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

US Displays Military Muscle As Carrier Sails In South China Sea

US Displays Military Muscle As  Carrier Sails In South China Sea

ABOARD USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT - More than two dozen F/A-18 Hornets roared off the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in an ear-splitting display of US military might as the aircraft carrier sailed through the South China Sea. The training exercise Tuesday came ahead of a port call in the Philippines, which along with several other nations is embroiled in disputes with Beijing over its claim to the strategic waters.
The demonstration, during a visit by Philippine generals and journalists, was held just days after Beijing flexed its own military muscle with a huge naval drill involving its sole aircraft carrier and dozens of other vessels several hundred kilometres to the north.
“We have seen Chinese ships around us,” carrier strike group commander Rear Admiral Steve Koehler said.
“They’re one of the navies that operate in the South China Sea but I would tell you that we’ve seen nothing but professional work from the ships that we’ve encountered,” he said.
Koehler acknowledged “there’s a lot of disputes” over the area but insisted the carrier group was transiting through international waters.
The US, a long-time ally of the Philippines, is not party to any of the disputes but says it wants to keep the crucial waterway open to shipping. (AFP)