[Text/Observer Network Yang Zijiang]According to the news on the website of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet on the 15th, the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, under the escort of other ships, entered the South China Sea on the 14th. This is the first time the USS Reagan aircraft carrier strike group has entered the South China Sea during its deployment in 2021. The US military claimed that the operation was a daily training in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Ronald Reagan” nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (US Navy data map)
According to information released by the US military, in addition to the “Reagan”, the aircraft carrier strike group that entered the South China Sea this time also included the “Ticonderoga”-class guided missile cruiser “Shilo” (CG 67) and “Arleigh Burke”. Class destroyer “Halsey” (DDG 97). Among them, the “Hilo” cruiser visited Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province in May 2013. This is one of the important bases of our army’s South China Sea Fleet.
US military sources said that after the “Reagan” aircraft carrier strike group entered the South China Sea, it was performing various maritime training tasks, including air force flight training, maritime strike training, and coordinated tactical training of surface units and aviation units.
It is reported that the “Reagan” aircraft carrier strike group will hold a routine “spring cruise” as planned. Affected by the new crown epidemic, the “Spring Cruise” of the “Reagan” in 2020 lasted for 5 months, breaking the record for the mission time of the aircraft carrier stationed in Japan since 1999. Last year, the “Reagan” entered the South China Sea many times, and this year, the “Reagan” has just completed a few months of small-scale renovation.
The US military also mentioned in the news that the US military previously dispatched the USS Wilbur (DDG 54) destroyer to coordinate with the Australian Navy ship USS Ballarat. The two navies were also on June 6-11. South China Sea operations.
Previous photos of the “Ronald Reagan” nuclear-powered aircraft carrier training (US Navy)
Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Tan Kefei made a statement on May 20 regarding the illegal intrusion of the USS Wilbur into our territorial waters of Xisha, stating that the ship illegally broke into China’s territorial waters of Xisha without the approval of the Chinese government. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army organizes naval and air forces in relevant theaters to track and monitor US ships and warn them to leave. The intrusion of a US warship into our territorial waters in Xisha was a serious provocative action of very bad nature. We strongly oppose and strongly condemn it.
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