The US military's "3+2" aircraft carrier formation gathered in the western Pacific, and Chinese experts caused by the "handover shift" and will not last too long

Source: Global Times

Recently, the US Navy's three aircraft carriers and two large-deck amphibious assault ships gathered around China and successively conducted military training in the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea. The deployment of 3 aircraft carriers and 2 amphibious combat groups around China is very rare, giving people a sense of flaunting their might. But Zhang Xuefeng, a Chinese military expert, said that this state of affairs will not last long, and this short-lived build-up is caused by the "handover" of US aircraft carriers in the West Pacific, and they may "take some photos" during joint training, and then most of the ships will "go back to their respective homes" while maintaining conventional forces in the Western Pacific.

U.S. Aircraft Carrier Infographic. Image source Visual China

Five major warships gather around China

According to the U.S. Naval Association (USNI) website, there are already 3 aircraft carriers and 2 amphibious strike groups deployed in the West Pacific region. Because two of the amphibious assault ships can carry fighter jets, and even the most advanced F-35B Lightning II fighter, it is called the "Lightning Carrier".

According to the USNI website reported on the 18th, the "Lincoln" aircraft carrier strike group has arrived in the southeast direction of Japan, and the aircraft carrier strike group left San Diego, California for deployment on January 10. The carrier strike group carried the 9th Carrier-Based Air wing, with the 314th Marine Corps Strike Fighter Squadron deploying for the first time using the carrier-based F-35C. Also in the strike group were the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser Mobile Bay and four Burke-class guided-missile destroyers of the 21st Destroyer Squadron.

The USS America Expeditionary Strike Group is located southeast of Taiwan and includes the USS America amphibious assault ship, the USS Green Bay and the USS Ashland amphibious assault group, which carries marine Force 31st Expeditionary Force (MEU). The expeditionary strike group departed from Sasebo, Japan, on 14 January for deployment in the western Pacific. The USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group is located in the Philippine Sea and includes the guided-missile cruiser Lake Champlain and five Burke-class destroyers of the 1st Destroyer Squadron. The "Essex" amphibious guard group is also located in the Philippine Sea.

In addition, the USS Reagan aircraft carrier of the US Seventh Fleet is currently in Japanese ports. If the USS Reagan is counted, there are 3 U.S. aircraft carriers and 2 large-deck amphibious assault ships around China.

Super "two dozen" F-35 in the West Pacific

The core combat power of U.S. aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships is carrier-based fighters. According to US media reports, there are "more than two dozen" F-35 fighters deployed with the ship. The U.S. Naval Association website reported on the 19th that more than 20 F-35 Lightning II fighters of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps are currently deployed on U.S. Navy ships in the Indo-Pacific region. Among them, the "Carl Vinson" aircraft carrier carries 10 F-35C fighters of the U.S. Navy's 147th Carrier-based Aircraft Squadron, while the "Lincoln" carrier carries 10 F-35C fighters of the U.S. Marine Corps' 314th Combat Attack Squadron. Meanwhile, several F-35B short-takeoff/vertical landing fighters of the U.S. Marine Corps are being deployed aboard the USS America amphibious assault ship. While the U.S. Marine Corps did not release the exact number of carrier-based aircraft on board the amphibious assault ship, the photos show that there were at least five F-35Bs on board the amphibious assault ship. According to the report, the concentrated deployment of these three aviation units is the largest assembly of F-35 fighters of us maritime forces to date.

However, according to the Global Times reporter, in the recent South China Sea exercise, the "Essex" is still carrying a relatively old AV-8B fighter. An aircraft carrier usually has four squadrons of attack fighters, including a two-seat F/A-18F squadron, each with 12 aircraft, and only one squadron of the two U.S. carriers is equipped with F-35C fighters.

"Take a group photo" and go?

Although many U.S. aircraft carriers and large amphibious assault ships are concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region, Zhang Xuefeng, a Chinese military expert, said the situation would not last long. The USS Reagan, deployed in Japan, usually undergoes annual maintenance at the beginning of the year, during which time it is likely that the USS Lincoln strike group will carry out related tasks in the western Pacific. After the "Reagan" aircraft carrier completes maintenance, the U.S. aircraft carrier deployment in the West Pacific may also be adjusted as needed.

Zhang Xuefeng said that the "Carl Vinson" aircraft carrier strike group and the "Essex" amphibious alert group have also been adrift at sea for several months and will soon return to their home port for repairs. To some extent, it can be said that the "Lincoln" and "Carl Vinson" carried out the "handover" in the western Pacific, which led to a sudden increase in the number of AIRcraft carriers and large amphibious warships in the Western Pacific. The US aircraft carrier battle group may take this opportunity to practice together and take a group photo. But soon after such exercises, some of the ships will "go back to their respective homes."