The George Washington is one of the U.S. Navy vessels homeported in Japan. The aircraft carrier, which is equipped with F-35C stealth fighter jets, returned to Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo in November 2024 after undergoing maintenance and upgrades in Virginia.
The USS George Washington’s first patrol since returning to Japan comes as two Chinese aircraft carriers were deployed simultaneously to the wider western Pacific for the first time earlier in June, marking a major milestone in China’s efforts to challenge U.S. naval dominance.
Another U.S. aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz, has been redeployed to the Middle East from the western Pacific amid the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict. This leaves the George Washington as the only U.S. aircraft carrier currently positioned to help keep China in check as of Monday.
Officially released photos show the George Washington and its carrier strike group transiting the Philippine Sea on Monday. The U.S. Navy said the aircraft carrier is currently on patrol in the Seventh Fleet’s operating area, which covers the western Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The Philippine Sea lies east of the First Island Chain a defensive line formed by Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines as part of a U.S. containment strategy aimed at restricting the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) the world’s largest by hull count in the western Pacific in the event of war.
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