In a show of force, the San Diego-based aircraft carriers USS Carl Vinson and USS Theodore Roosevelt sailed in formation Wednesday in the Philippine Sea with ships from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
The formation was part of a Multi-Large Deck Event, a force-readiness exercise meant to show that the two countries are committed to their partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific, the Navy said.
The operation comes amid rising tension with China, which has threatened to invade Taiwan and has suggested that it could interfere with the movement of commercial shipping in the South China Sea.
The Vinson and Roosevelt head up strike groups that collectively include nine other warships, including the San Diego-based cruisers USS Lake Erie and USS Princeton and the destroyers USS Sterett and USS Halsey. Another San Diego-based vessel, the hospital ship USNS Mercy, also is operating in the Indo-Pacific.