US Aircraft Carrier USS George Washington Counters China Navy Presence
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese defense and foreign ministries for comment by email.
The George Washington is one of the U.S. Navy vessels homeported in Japan. The aircraft carrier, which is equipped with F-35C stealth fighter jets, returned to Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo in November 2024 after undergoing maintenance and upgrades in Virginia.
The George Washington's first patrol since returning to Japan comes as two Chinese aircraft carriers were deployed simultaneously to the wider western Pacific for the first time earlier in June, marking a major milestone in China's efforts to challenge U.S. naval dominance.
Another U.S. aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz, has been redeployed to the Middle East from the western Pacific amid the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict. This leaves the George Washington as the only U.S. aircraft carrier currently positioned to help keep China in check as of Monday.
Officially released photos show the George Washington and its carrier strike group transiting the Philippine Sea on Monday. The U.S. Navy said the aircraft carrier is currently on patrol in the Seventh Fleet's operating area, which covers the western Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The Philippine Sea lies east of the First Island Chain-a defensive line formed by Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines as part of a U.S. containment strategy aimed at restricting the Chinese navy-the world's largest by hull count-in the western Pacific in the event of war.
In addition to the George Washington, which left its home port on June 10, the carrier strike group includes two other warships-the cruiser USS Robert Smalls and the destroyer USS Shoup.
It remains unclear whether the George Washington will also be sent to the Middle East, should the situation there worsen. The Nimitz is expected to relieve its sister ship, USS Carl Vinson, in the region, allowing the latter to return home, U.S. Naval Institute News reported.
The Chinese aircraft carriers CNS Liaoning and CNS Shandong remained underway in waters east of the Philippines as of Monday, each leading a naval task group and transiting westward, according to a map provided by Japan's Defense Ministry.
The U.S. Navy said on Tuesday: "George Washington is the U.S. Navy's premier forward-deployed aircraft carrier, a long-standing symbol of the United States' commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, while operating alongside allies and partners across the U.S. Navy's largest numbered fleet."
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31: "China seeks to become a hegemonic power in Asia. No doubt. It hopes to dominate and control too many parts of this vibrant and vital region. Through its massive military build-up and growing willingness to use military force to achieve its goals…China has demonstrated that it wants to fundamentally alter the region's status quo."
It remains to be seen whether USS America-a U.S. amphibious assault ship equipped with F-35B stealth fighter jets-will depart the South Pacific for the western Pacific to reinforce the U.S. naval presence in the region following the Nimitz's departure.
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