US media: The "Carl Vinson" aircraft carrier strike group will go to the Indo-Pacific, and there will be major changes in the escort ships

Source: Global Times

According to the official website of the US Navy on the 19th, just when the US aircraft carrier "Reagan" in Japan is about to go to the Middle East to support the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan, another US aircraft carrier "Carl Vinson" has been intensively trained in Hawaiian waters, preparing to fill the gap in Asia-Pacific combat strength after the departure of the "Reagan". Notably, the CARL Vinson, which has just completed a major upgrade, is the first aircraft carrier that can carry both an F-35C stealth fighter and an Osprey tilt-wing aircraft, and its combat equipment represents the U.S. Navy's main carrier strike group model for the next decade.

The Pacific Fleet said in a press release that the USS Carl Vinson completed a 17-month maintenance in August 2020, mainly carrying a fifth-generation fighter upgrade, making it the first aircraft carrier capable of carrying the F-35C stealth fighter and cmv-22B Osprey tilt rotary wing aircraft. Upgrades include enhancements to the deck deflector to allow it to withstand the hot tail flames of the F-35C carrier-based fighter. It is also equipped with a new computer network that allows the carrier to support the unique maintenance and tactical operations of advanced fighters.

The carrier currently carries three f/a-18e/f Super Hornet fighter squadrons, one f-35c stealth fighter squadron, one EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft squadron, one e-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft squadron, and multiple helicopters.

It is worth noting that compared with the "Reagan" aircraft carrier with only 1 destroyer and 1 cruiser escort, the escort ship of the "Carl Vinson" aircraft carrier has quietly undergone major changes: the "Ticonderoga" class cruiser, the main escort force of the US aircraft carrier battle group in the past, disappeared for the first time and was replaced by 5 "Allie Burke" class guided-missile destroyers. In recent years, the U.S. Navy has considered retiring more than 10 Ticonderoga-class cruisers, and the composition of this escort ship of the CARL Vinson may become standard equipment for future U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups.

According to reports, the "Carl Vinson" aircraft carrier belongs to the US Navy's Third Fleet in charge of the eastern Pacific, mainly near the west coast of the United States, but has also traveled to the western Pacific region many times to carry out patrol missions. According to reports, after the "Reagan" aircraft carrier travels to the Middle East, the "Carl Vinson" strike group will travel to the Indo-Pacific region to fill the "US aircraft carrier shortage" in the Asia-Pacific region. (Chen Shan)