Massive Show Of Force In East China Sea: 3 Aircraft Carriers And Their Strike Groups Hold War Drills

As the East China Sea continues to boil, the U.S. Navy joined five other different navies to hold a massive military exercise in the disputed waters.

The joint drill comes days after Beijing sent 39 warplanes into Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone. The U.S. called the move provocative.

Two U.S. carrier strike groups drilled with the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) and a Japanese big-deck warship over the weekend in a major naval exercise in the waters off the southeast of Okinawa, Japan, reported USNI News.

The Royal Netherlands Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, and the Royal New Zealand Navy were also part of the drill which had a total of 17 surface ships and four aircraft carriers.

Besides the USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, USS Ronald Reagan, HMS Queen Elizabeth strike group, and the helicopter carrier JS Ise (DDH-182) took part in the exercise off the southwest coast of Okinawa.

A statement by Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Monday said the joint exercise with the participating navies enhanced its tactical skills and interoperability. It added that anti-submarine warfare, air defense warfare, tactical movement, and communications training were carried out as part of the drill.

"In addition to the two carrier strike groups of the U.S. Navy, I feel very honored to be able to train with the Royal Navy’s most advanced carrier strike group, which is an extremely valuable experience," JMSDF Escort Flotilla 2 commander Rear Adm. Konno Yasushige said.

However, reports quoting Japanese media say the military maneuvers were aimed to "contain China" as it actively seeks to expand its operations in the surrounding waters. According to experts, Japan's participation in exercises to deter Chinese aggression shows that Tokyo's view that its security is "inextricably tied" to Taiwan’s has "gone from words to actions."

This was the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group’s fourth exercise with allies and partners since entering the 7th Fleet.

Meanwhile, a Vietnamese expert has claimed that Chinese warships shadowed the U.S. and allied naval groups in the South China Sea.

Ho Chi Minh-based maritime observer Duan Dang said HMS Queen Elizabeth was operating west of the Luzon Strait, which separates Taiwan and the Philippines, while the USS Carl Vinson was operating north of the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

His satellite photo revealed "unidentified" warships monitoring both carrier groups from afar. The ships are most likely from the South Sea Fleet of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, which operates in the South China Sea, he claimed. This came ahead of the six-nation drill.