[NTD News, June 15, 2021]The situation in the Taiwan Strait continues to be tense. The US Navy said on the 15th that the US aircraft carrier strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan has entered the South China Sea to perform routine missions.
The USS Seventh Fleet issued a press release on June 14 stating that the USS Reagan strike group has entered the South China Sea and is undergoing maritime safety exercises, including fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft flight operations, maritime strike exercises, and joint surface and air forces. Combat.
The press release emphasized that ship activities in the South China Sea are part of the US Navy’s daily presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
The composition of the USS Reagan Strike Group includes the USS Reagan, the 5th Carrier Aircraft Aviation Wing, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser “Shiloh” (USS Shiloh, CG-67), and the Burke-class destroyer “Ha USS Halsey (USS Halsey, DDG-97).
After the Reagan entered the South China Sea on the 14th, the ship-borne F/A18F Super Hornet started lifting training on the deck.
The US Navy’s Pacific Fleet once claimed that Reagan is the flagship of the aircraft carrier’s 5th Strike Group, providing a force ready to fight to protect and defend the United States, as well as the common interests of US allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Australian warship will follow the British aircraft carrier battle group in the South Navy exercise
In addition to the US aircraft carrier strike group, two US and Australian warships passed through the South China Sea on June 10. In the coming weeks, Australian warships will follow the British aircraft carrier battle group to the South China Sea for military exercises.
According to the “Sydney Morning Herald” report on the 13th, the battle group led by the British aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth is expected to cross the Vietnam Sea in the next two to three weeks, and Australia will also send warships to join this operation.
The report said that although the Ministry of Defence refused to disclose which warships would be sent to follow the British aircraft carrier to cross the Vietnam Sea, the naval fleet commander confirmed that the two New Zealand-Australian Regiment-class frigates will have important military interactions with friendly forces.
Australian Admiral Mark Hammond said that the frigates HMAS Ballarat and HMAS Parramatta have set sail for Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia. It took two months.
The director of the Australian Institute of Strategic Policy, Peter Jennings, said that the British aircraft carrier’s mission to the South China Sea is a signal that the UK has realized the importance of the security of the Indo-Pacific region to the country. He also added that British aircraft carriers are not here to participate in military confrontations, but more for maritime diplomacy and to showcase British military technology.
U.S. special aircraft and transport aircraft also appeared in the South China Sea
In addition, on June 11, two US military special MC-130J aircraft, two KC-135 tankers, and two C-130 transport aircraft also appeared in the South China Sea.
US Defense News stated that the MC-130J special aircraft is very rare to appear around China. More importantly, in the planning of the US military, MC-130J is generally used to carry out the transportation tasks of special forces to ensure their infiltration and evacuation. It is the backbone of the US military’s ability to perform special tasks abroad.
The report said that because the MC-130J is so closely related to U.S. special operations and U.S. special operations, some people believe that the appearance of MC-130J in the South China Sea represents a change in American thinking in related fields. -130J’s appearance is likely to be on a secret mission against China.
Since the outbreak of the CCP virus, Beijing’s military threat to Taiwan has reached an unprecedented level. Fighters have entered the field of aerial awareness, skimming the center line of the Taiwan Strait, and aircraft carriers have detoured. Aroused the vigilance of European and American countries.
In the communiqué of the summit of the G7 leaders, which ended on June 13, called on the CCP to refrain from any unilateral actions that might undermine the stability of the East and South China Seas.
The G7 also stated that they emphasized the “importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and encourage the peaceful settlement of cross-strait issues.”
(Reporter Li Yun comprehensive report/responsible editor: Li Quan)
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