US sends warships through South China Sea in latest transit

USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group sailed into the disputed waters after mission supporting US withdrawal from Afghanistan

It’s the second time they have entered the area this year and comes as tensions have been rising in the region

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The USS Ronald Reagan is said to have entered the South China Sea via the Strait of Malacca on Friday. Photo: US Pacific Fleet

Published: 7:04pm, 27 Sep 2021Updated: 9:50pm, 27 Sep 2021

The United States has sent its USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike group into the disputed South China Sea for a second time this year amid rising tensions in the region.

The strike group sailed into the waters on Friday after nearly three months in the Arabian Sea, where it was supporting the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the US Navy said in a statement.

It will conduct flight operations, maritime strike operations, anti-submarine operations and tactical training while in the South China Sea, the statement said.

“We look forward to leveraging our recent out-of-area experience as we return to the South China Sea and our rapidly growing alliances and partnerships dedicated to the Indo-Pacific,” said Rear Admiral Will Pennington, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5.

The strike group is based at Yokosuka in Japan.

Commander of the USS Ronald Reagan, Captain Fred Goldhammer, said that as the mission continued in the South China Sea, “we remain vigilant and ready to answer the call”.

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