Warship in Singapore as US focus shifts to Asia
New type of combat vessel will tour Southeast Asia for eight months to 'ensure freedom of navigation' and show strong presence in region
A United States warship designed to fight in coastal areas arrived on Thursday in Singapore for its Southeast Asian deployment, underlining President Barack Obama’s new strategic focus on Asia.
The deployment of the USS Freedom comes at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula and as China publicly flexes its naval muscle in the South China Sea, where it has competing territorial claims with some Southeast Asian states.
US Navy officials said the Freedom, a new class of vessel called the littoral combat ship (LCS), sailed into Changi Naval Base at around 11.00am in Singapore, a long-standing US ally that assists in logistics and exercises for forces in Southeast Asia.
The ship, the US Navy’s first LCS, which is designed to fight close to the shore, will be deployed for the next eight months in the region, where it will participate in naval exercises and visit other ports.
Regional security expert Ian Storey said the Freedom’s deployment signals Washington’s commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation in the region, which hosts some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
It demonstrates to US allies and friends that it is committed to maintaining a strong presence in the region to ensure stability. In naval terms, it also underpins the US’ commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation
“The forward deployment of these ships is part the US pivot, rebalancing away from Iraq and Afghanistan and towards Asia,” said Storey, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.