The U.S. announced on Thursday that its newest amphibious warship, which can carry stealth fighter aircraft, will be stationed in Japan, amid China’s rapid naval expansion.
Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. The Japanese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment.
Why It Matters
Japan is an American security treaty ally, which forms the first island chain with Taiwan and the Philippines under a U.S. defense concept. The blockade seeks to constrain Chinese forces in wartime with allied and friendly territories in the Western Pacific Ocean.
The Pentagon has stationed aircraft, ships, and troops in Japan, including the amphibious assault ship USS America. The announcement of the America‘s replacement comes after the Chinese military launched its first new-generation amphibious assault ship last December.
What To Know
The U.S. Pacific Fleet said USS Tripoli, which is the sister ship of the America and the second America-class amphibious assault ship, will change its home port from San Diego in California to Sasebo in Japan, located to the east of China across the East China Sea.
The Tripoli, which was commissioned in July 2020, will replace the America. The latter has been stationed in Sasebo since December 2019 and will move to San Diego as a result. It was not immediately clear when the “scheduled rotation of forces” would take place.
The rotation of warships reflected the security environment in the Indo-Pacific, where the U.S. Navy is required to deploy the most capable ships for enhancing the national security of the U.S. and improving its ability to protect strategic interests, the announcement read.
This would be the third major rotation of U.S. warships in the Indo-Pacific region since last November, when the aircraft carrier USS George Washington returned to its Japanese home port of Yokosuka and the fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota was deployed to Guam.
While neither the America nor the Tripoli are equipped with a catapult and arresting system that supports flight operations by fixed-wing aircraft, they are operated with the F-35B fighter jets, which can perform short takeoffs and vertical landings on their flight decks.
Lance Cpl. Christopher Lape/U.S. Marine Corps
Photos released by the U.S. Navy showed that the America was sailing in the Philippine Sea, located to the east of the first island chain, and conducting flight operations with the F-35B jets as of Monday. The Tripoli was spotted leaving San Diego on January 27.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement: “Maintaining a forward-deployed naval force capability with the most advanced ships supports the United States’ commitment to the defense of Japan and the security and stability of the vital Indo-Pacific region.”
Lieutenant Commander Katie Koenig, spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, previously told Newsweek: “The U.S. Navy continually monitors force readiness and capabilities to provide the most robust, capable maritime force possible. Long-range planners constantly evaluate whether ships, aircraft, facilities, and equipment are being used effectively and efficiently.”
What Happens Next
The U.S. Navy will continue to deploy its most advanced warships in the Western Pacific Ocean, where China has expanded its naval reach and presence far away from its shores.
