According to open information, the US Navy's CVN70 aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson entered the South China Sea on December 13. The aircraft carrier arrived in the Asia-Pacific region in October and gradually began to replace the CVN76 USS Ronald Reagan on missions around China. The USS Carl Vinson, like the USS Reagan, is one of the US Navy's massive Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. The United States currently has 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and one Ford-class aircraft carrier. According to information published by the US Navy, by 2024, the US Navy will have three aircraft carriers involved in combat deployment missions. In addition to the USS Carl Vinson, which is on duty in the South China Sea, there are the USS CVN78 Ford and CVN69 USS Eisenhower in the Middle East.
Shortly after entering the South China Sea, the USS Carl Vinson went directly to Singapore for a port visit. Docked at the Changi Military Port in Singapore from the 17th to the 21st. In recent years, the U.S. Navy has frequently used aircraft carrier formations to make calls in Singapore, and to conduct similar operations in Vietnam and the Philippines. This not only strengthens military cooperation, but also demonstrates support for Southeast Asian countries. This move has important background significance in the context of the U.S. strategy of actively containing China. According to information released by the U.S. Navy, the USS Carl Vinson left Singapore on December 21 and re-entered the South China Sea to carry out its mission.
Shortly after the US Navy aircraft carrier broke into the South China Sea again, the US Navy's Seventh Fleet issued an announcement announcing the dismissal of Lieutenant Colonel William Coulter, commander of the electronic warfare of the USS Carl Vinson, from his post, which attracted widespread attention from the outside world. The USS Carl Vinson carries six EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft. During this combat deployment, the U.S. Navy's 136th Electronic Warfare Squadron was assigned to the relevant tasks, and was replaced by the former deputy commander. The EA-18G is the only electronic warfare aircraft in the US Navy, while the PLA has a similar model. At the 2021 Zhuhai Air Show, the J-16D electronic warfare aircraft was publicly demonstrated, and like the EA-18G, the J-16D fighter has electromagnetic suppression capabilities.
The J-16D is an improvement on the J-16, with the addition of electronic jamming pods and electronic detection equipment, making it capable of electronic warfare. At the same time, the carried anti-radiation missiles allow it to deliver effective strikes against targets such as radars and AWACS. Concerns are raised about the deployment of the US Navy's carrier strike group in the Asia-Pacific region, the possible involvement of EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft in its operations. The People's Liberation Army of China is obviously not going to sit idly by and can counteract with the help of J-16D electronic warfare aircraft. Reports about the dismissal of the commander of the VAQ136 electronic warfare by the US Navy have attracted widespread attention, possibly involving the failure of the commander to achieve the desired goals during the mission. The U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet has responded to the incident, saying that Lieutenant Commander William Coulter lacks confidence in command. At present, the US Navy aircraft carrier CVN70 Carl Vinson is still operating in the South China Sea region, which is alarming.