USS Carl Vinson deployed to South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines — The United States Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) is currently deployed in the South China Sea as part of its routine operations amid heightened tensions in the region.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier has been conducting routine flight operations in the South China Sea since January 3, according to photos released by the US Department of Defense. It departed Port Klang, Malaysia last week after a port call in Kuala Lumpur.

The flagship of Carrier Strike Group One is "underway conducting routine operations in the US Pacific Fleet 7th Fleet area of operations," according to photos released by the US Pacific Fleet on Thursday, January 9. The U.S. 7th Fleet's area of operations cover the Indo-Pacific region.

The 1,092-foot vessel can carry up to 90 aircraft and hosts more than 5,000 personnel, including its crew and air wing.  

The presence of the US aircraft carrier comes amid escalating tensions between Manila and Beijing after China's largest Coast Guard vessel spent four days meandering in the waters off Zambales, within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday, January 8 said that the so-called monster ship by China had already began to sail away, last spotted 90 nautical miles from Zambales' coastline. But another CCG vessel appears to have taken its place, the PCG said.

While foreign vessels are allowed to pass through the Philippines' EEZ, the PCG on Monday explained that the China monster ship displayed "erratic movements" that indicate it is not there for “innocent passage.”

Beijing has continued to press its claims to almost the entire South China Sea despite an international tribunal ruling in 2016 that nullified its claim of historic rights over the waters.