Two US aircraft carrier strike groups are conducting joint drills in the contested South China Sea, the US Navy said in a statement on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th July, 2020) Two US aircraft carrier strike groups are conducting joint drills in the contested South China Sea, the US Navy said in a statement on Monday.
"The Nimitz and Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Force are conducting dual carrier operations in the South China Seas, July 6," the Navy said.
The strike groups conducted several exercises and operations aimed at strengthening warfighting readiness and proficiency in an all-domain environment, the statement said. The joint drills included air defense exercises, tactical maneuvering, simulated long-range maritime strike scenarios, and coordinated air and surface exercises.
"Committed to our allies and a free and open Indo-Pacific, Reagan brings a flexibility and combat lethality unmatched anywhere in the world. These operations with Nimitz demonstrate that we are but one component of a much larger and equally committed naval force," commanding officer Capt. Pat Hannifin said in the release.
The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group consists of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, Carrier Air Wing-17, the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton, the guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett, and USS Ralph Johnson.
The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group consists of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, Carrier Air Wing -5, the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam, the guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin.
The drills come amid heightened tensions between the United States and China over the response to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
China claims much of the South China Sea as its own territory, but the claim is rejected by other countries in the region. The United States frequently challenges Beijing's claims to the sea by conducting military operations there and calling for freedom of navigation in the disputed waters.
