[Epoch Times, January 17, 2022]On January 13, the USS Carl Vinson (CVN70) quietly entered the South China Sea and the USS Essex Amphibious Readiness Group (ESX ARG) converged in the South China Sea for a joint expedition. Strike training. On January 12, the U.S. State Department publicly denied most of the CCP’s maritime claims in the South China Sea; it was no coincidence that the U.S. military conducted expeditionary strike training in the South China Sea the next day. a clear deterrent signal.
Similar training will be conducted only once in 2021. At the beginning of 2022, the U.S. military will conduct a joint exercise of the aircraft carrier battle group and amphibious combat readiness group in the South China Sea. In line with the U.S. State Department’s public statement on the South China Sea, it shows that the U.S. military may attack the CCP in 2022. Adopt a more aggressive offensive strategy.
In recent years, the U.S. military has continued to conduct exercises and free navigation in the South China Sea, frequently sending signals to the CCP that the U.S. military is capable of seizing the military islands and reefs occupied by the CCP in the South China Sea; if the CCP risks a war in the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. military may immediately open a second battlefield in the South China Sea . At the beginning of 2022, the US military once again warned the CCP.
On January 16, the US military announced that the USS Carl Vinson (CVN70) strike group and the USS Essex Amphibious Readiness Group (ESX ARG) were training in the South China Sea, including integrated maritime strike, maritime interception, anti-submarine warfare, maritime supply and formation maneuvering , navigation and other subjects, adding that these operations are the latest in strengthening naval readiness and interoperability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Air raid equipment carried by the Essex Amphibious Readiness Group (ESX ARG), including tilt-wing MV-22B Osprey helicopters, UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, CH-53E Super Species that can lift heavy equipment Horse helicopters, and short takeoff/vertical landing AV-8B Harriers.
The amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) and the landing dock ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) carried the 11th Marine Expeditionary Team and just completed their deployment in the Middle East. On their way back to the Pacific Ocean, they passed through the South China Sea and carried the 11th Marine Expedition. F-35C stealth fighter aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN70) strike group exercises together.
The aircraft carrier Carl Vinson has been practicing in the Philippine Sea after the New Year, and then entered the South China Sea from the Philippine Islands to join the Essex amphibious combat readiness group. Escorting the aircraft carrier included the cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) and three destroyers USS Murphy (DDG 112), USS Kane (DDG 77), and USS Chaffey (DDG 90).
The U.S. military’s simulation exercise subjects are quite clear. The amphibious combat readiness group can launch amphibious landings on islands and reefs in the South China Sea, especially through rapid air raids and deployment of troops. The aircraft carrier battle group can first carry out air strikes and Tomahawk cruise missile strikes, and then intercept the Chinese fleet that may be heading south, including Chinese submarines. The fleet also conducts maritime maneuvers and supply operations in a timely manner after a simulated round of warfare.
In April 2021, the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD8) passed through the South China Sea when it returned from the Middle East. It once exercised with the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN71) battle group in the South China Sea. This is the only similar exercise conducted by the US military in the South China Sea in 2021. train. In September 2021, when the Essex Amphibious Readiness Group (ESX ARG) deployed from the Pacific to the Middle East, it did not cross the South Sea, but bypassed the Philippine Islands, the Indonesian Islands, and then entered the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Malacca. When returning in January this year, it will directly enter the South China Sea.
The U.S. military’s amphibious combat readiness fleet is generally led by amphibious assault ships. There are 7 Wasp-class amphibious assault ships and 2 American-class amphibious assault ships in active service. One of them is deployed in Japan all year round, and the rest are deployed in rotation from the United States. Paired with amphibious assault ships, including the San Antonio-class amphibious dock landing ship, 11 ships of the same class are currently in service; in addition, there are 4 Ferry-class dock landing ships and 7 Whidbey Island-class dock landing ships. Equipped with a large number of marines and landing chariots and other equipment, it is ready for combat at sea at any time, and can quickly launch counterattacks.
On January 12, the U.S. State Department released the report “Marine Boundary Study”, publicly claiming that most of the CCP’s maritime claims in the South China Sea are illegal; the U.S. military will then cooperate with exercises in the South China Sea. A month ago, on December 14, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Southeast Asia and delivered a speech in Indonesia, calling on ASEAN countries to cooperate more like the Quad. Whether this indicates that the United States may launch a strategic offensive in the South China Sea in 2022 remains to be seen.
The actions of the US military are not limited to the South China Sea. On January 13, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command tweeted a picture showing the B-1B bomber flying over the Western Pacific, but did not announce the specific location, only revealing a joint exercise with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
On January 14, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command also revealed that the Ohio-class strategic ballistic missile submarine USS Nevada (SSBN 733) arrived in Guam. The U.S. military rarely announces the whereabouts of strategic nuclear submarines. This time, it deliberately released sensitive information to demonstrate the U.S. military’s three-in-one submarine-launched ballistic missile counterattack capability, which should be shown to the CCP and North Korea at the same time.
On January 11, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command tweeted a picture showing the arrival of U.S. Apache AH-64E attack helicopters in South Korea.
The USS Lincoln (CVN72), the second U.S. aircraft carrier carrying F-35C fighter jets, is on its way to deployment and is expected to enter the Western Pacific soon, possibly with a round with the USS Carl Vinson. Before and after the Beijing Winter Olympics, the CCP is trying to keep a low profile and temporarily put away its aggressive stance; but if the two US aircraft carrier fleets enter the South China Sea and demonstrate the F-35C fighter’s dual aircraft carrier exercise for the first time, how the CCP will respond is estimated to be the next big thing. Aspect.
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Responsible editor: Gao Yi#
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