Strait of Malacca from globe at Field Museum (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Reuters: “The first of a new class of U.S. coastal warships will be sent to Singapore next spring for a roughly 10-month deployment, the Navy said on Wednesday, spotlighting a move that may stir China’s fears of U.S. involvement in South China Sea disputes.
Deployment of the shallow-draft ship “Freedom” will help refine crew rotations, logistics and maintenance processes to maximize the classs value to U.S. combat commanders, Rear Admiral Thomas Rowden, the Navys director of surface warfare, told reporters.”Well be deploying the ship for about 10 months in the spring of next year” to Singapore, he said in a teleconference. “In the meantime, were prepping her for success in the execution of that deployment.
“Singapore is strategically located along the Strait of Malacca, the chief link between the Indian and Pacific Oceans through which flows about 40 percent of world trade. The government has discussed hosting up to four such U.S. “Littoral Combat Ships,” or LCS, on a rotational basis at its naval facilities. Both countries have said the deployment stops short of a basing agreement.”
via U.S. plans 10-month warship deployment to Singapore | Reuters.
It takes two to tango. So it is with the US trying to ‘surround’ China with alliances or naval exercise with Australia, India, Philippines and with Singapore. In the meanwhile, China is holding exercises or reaffirming military alliances with Russia and Thailand (see other post).
Related articles and posts:
- https://chindia-alert.org/2012/05/10/marine-forces-of-china-thailand-to-hold-joint-training/
- https://chindia-alert.org/2012/04/30/philippines-role-may-grow-as-u-s-adjusts-asia-strategy/
- http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/growing-us-australia-military-alliance.html
- https://chindia-alert.org/2012/03/03/us-military-ties-with-india-growing/
CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon 