The United States has deployed two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship to the Western Pacific as China conducts military exercises around Taiwan. According to the U.S. Naval Institute Fleet and Marine Tracker, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln entered the South China Sea for routine operations.

Departing San Diego in late November moved through the Philippine Sea southeast of Taiwan before entering the South China Sea. Supporting the carrier operations, the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, capable of launching F-35B jets, conducted routine operations in the South China Sea earlier in December.

Meanwhile, China has launched missiles and deployed fighter jets and warships around Taiwan for a second day of live-fire drills, called Justice Mission 2025. The exercises simulate a blockade of Taiwan’s key ports and assaults on maritime targets. Meanwhile, Taipei condemned the drills as highly provocative and reckless.