A United States Navy Flattop Is Now Operating In The South China Sea

BusinessAerospace & DefenseA United States Navy Flattop Is Now Operating In The South China SeaByPeter Suciu,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Peter Suciu covers trends in the world of aerospace and defense.Follow AuthorJun 09, 2026, 05:51pm EDTU.S. Navy Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) sails in the South China Sea(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Nicole Stuart)Earlier this year, there had been speculation that the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD-4) would also be dispatched to the Middle East to join the build-up of U.S. military forces in the region. Currently, the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarriers USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), and the America-­­class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) are operating in the Arabian Sea.As of this week, the conventionally-powered vessel, with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is now in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in the South China Sea.However, it is a bit complicated.The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group includes LHD-4, the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD-45), the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Portland (LPD-27) and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. LPD-27 is operating with USS Boxer after making a port call to Singapore last week, but USS Comstock is now in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in the Indian OceanThe rest of the ARG had also been operating in the Indian Ocean, but earlier this month transited the Singapore Strait.The United States has been trying to maintain a presence in multiple regions simultaneously, and that has been difficult as it has rotated its nuclear-powered carriers to the Middle East. Last month, the U.S. Navy’s newest and largest supercarrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), finally returned to Naval Station Norfolk after a historic 326-day deployment, the longest U.S. aircraft carrier mission since the Vi...