A United States nuclear-powered aircraft carrier conducted a war game with ally the Philippines in the contested South China Sea last week while China carried out “combat-readiness” patrols.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Seventh Fleet, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email.
Why It Matters
USS Carl Vinson has been operating in the South China Sea since late December last year. It is deployed with F-35C stealth aircraft, the U.S. Navy‘s most capable fighter jet.
China‘s claims in the South China Sea cover nearly all maritime features but overlap with those of neighboring countries, including the Philippines, and have often led to clashes at sea. Manila is an ally of Washington as both sides maintain a mutual defense treaty.
The U.S. Seventh Fleet said the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, which also included a cruiser and two destroyers, as well as a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, concluded a two-day Maritime Cooperative Activity, or MCA, with the Philippine armed forces on Saturday.
This fifth iteration of the MCA reinforced maritime cooperation and coordination, the Philippine military said, which has mobilized two ships and two fighter aircraft for communication and maneuver exercises, as well as aircraft combat training.
The MCA highlighted a longstanding partnership with its Philippine counterpart in the maritime domain, the U.S. Seventh Fleet said, showcasing a “collective commitment” to strengthening cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
