Frontline US Aircraft Carrier Near China Prepares for Military Action

The USS George Washington, a United States aircraft carrier deployed in Japan, is preparing for an upcoming patrol in the western Pacific Ocean to counter naval threats posed by China.

Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email.

Why It Matters

The George Washington returned to its home port in Japan—Yokosuka naval base near the capital city of Tokyo—in November after undergoing maintenance in Virginia since 2017. The nuclear-powered warship was previously forward-deployed to Japan from 2008 to 2015.

While the George Washington has remained in Japan since its return, the U.S. deployed two aircraft carriers—USS Carl Vinson and USS Nimitz—to the western Pacific Ocean. The former was later sent to the Middle East, while the latter was tracked near the Indian Ocean.

The forthcoming patrol of the George Washington comes as the Chinese navy—the world’s largest by hull count—continues operations near Japan and Taiwan, which are a U.S. ally and partner, by deploying its aircraft carrier and a task group led by an amphibious warship.

What To Know

Both the U.S. Navy and the Japanese Defense Ministry announced that U.S. naval aviators assigned to the George Washington were scheduled to conduct field carrier landing practice (FCLP) on Iwo To—also known as Iwo Jima—from Monday through the end of this month.

During this required training for aircraft carrier flight operations, pilots perform repetitive “touch and go” landings at the airfield to simulate landing on an aircraft carrier, the U.S. Navy said.

“[FCLP] is an indispensable training program for pilots of carrier-based aircraft to land on the runway of a land-based airfield as if it were the deck of an aircraft carrier in order to obtain a landing qualification when the USS George Washington departed,” Tokyo added.

The Japan-based U.S. aircraft carrier is equipped with various types of aircraft, including F-35C, F/A-18E and F/A-18F fighter jets. These aircraft are stationed on land at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan when not deployed aboard the George Washington.

Iwo To is a Japanese island located 750 miles south of Tokyo, where a bloody World War II battle took place from February 19 to March 26, 1945. Almost 7,000 U.S. Marines were killed on the island, while the defending Japanese forces saw more than 18,000 casualties.

The U.S. Navy has been conducting FCLP on Iwo To since 1989. While the island has no local population—allowing for both day and night flight operations—the Navy has said it is not a suitable permanent training site because of its remote location and lack of divert airfields.

In the event that FCLP cannot be conducted on the Pacific island, four sites on Japan’s main island of Honshu have been designated as backup locations for the training: Misawa Air Base, Yokota Air Base, Naval Air Facility Atsugi and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni.

What People Are Saying

The U.S. Navy said: “The Navy is aware of noise concerns of the Japanese people and strives to minimize the impact of its training on local citizens while balancing our obligation to maintain operational readiness for the defense of Japan and to meet our agreements under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.”

The Japanese Defense Ministry said: “[FCLP] is of great significance for the defense of Japan and for strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the United States in the region.”

What Happens Next

It remains unclear when the George Washington will depart from Yokosuka naval base for its western Pacific patrol. As of Tuesday, it was still at its home port, according to a local government website that tracks visits by U.S. nuclear-powered naval vessels to Yokosuka.