SINGAPORE -- U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, docked in Singapore this week, in a display of America's military prowess in Southeast Asia amid a spat between China and the Philippines in nearby disputed waters.
U.S. Navy vessels call at Singapore, a close partner in the region, from time to time, and officials described the visit as part of "daily routine global operations." But the nuclear-powered Vinson, which docked on Sunday, has arrived at a particularly sensitive time. Chinese and Philippine vessels have been embroiled in skirmishes in the nearby South China Sea, raising the risk of escalating conflict.
U.S. Navy personnel would not comment on where the Vinson was headed after its Singapore call, which reporters were invited to cover on Tuesday. Vinson was accompanied by other vessels under America's "Carrier Strike Group One" fleet that includes a missile cruiser and guided-missile destroyers, usually based in California when they are not globe-trotting on missions.