Carrier USS George Washington Returns to Japan

November 22, 2024 3:53 PM
Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Daniel Dominguez, from San Antonio, assigned to security department, scans the horizon while standing watch in the pilot house of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73), as it returns to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, Nov. 22, 2024. US Navy Photo

USS George Washington (CVN-73) returned to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY), Japan on Friday, taking up station as the Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Japan aircraft carrier for the second time.
George Washington docked into Yokosuka Friday morning, marking the second time George Washington has served as the forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Japan. In 2008, it became the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be forward-deployed to Japan before being relieved by USS Ronald Reagan (CVN- 76) in 2015, according to a Navy release.

“A U.S. carrier represents the most advanced maritime capability we have, and it’s the most advanced investment we can make in the security of Japan and of the Western Pacific,” said Vice Adm. Fred Kacher, Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, in the release.
George Washington returns with modernized, cutting-edge technology that represents our investment in deterrence and security in this region.”

In a post on X, U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel said that the carrier and its crew represented the U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Japan alliance and to regional security and stability.

George Washington’s air wing is Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, which has been forward deployed to Japan since 1973. The air wing includes the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, the first F-35C Lightning II squadron to join FDNF-J, with the other squadrons of CVW 5 consisting of the “Diamondbacks” of VFA-102, the “Royal Maces” of VFA-27, the “Dambusters” of VFA-195, the “Shadowhawks” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ), the “Titans” of 141 Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRM) 30, the “ “Tigertails” of Detachment 5 Airborne Command & Control Squadron (VAW) 125, the “Golden Falcons” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12 and the “Saberhawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77, according to the release.

George Washington came out of its midlife refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding in May last year. What was supposed to be a four-year process dragged on to almost six years due to damage to its steam turbines along with other factors, USNI News reported.

George Washington then conducted pre-deployment certifications and inspections over the course of 10 months, and departed Norfolk, Va., in April for its Southern Seas deployment around South America. The carrier arrived in San Diego in July and departed on Oct.8 for a seven-week transit to Japan. GW participated in the second iteration of U.S. – Japan – South Korea trilateral multi-domain exercise Freedom Edge from Nov.13-15 before making its way to Yokosuka.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Stephen F. Jost, commander, United States Forces Japan and 5th Air Force, attends the arrival ceremony of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, Nov. 22, 2024. US Marine Corps Photo

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani met with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun on Thursday, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Minister Meeting, Nakatani told reporters in a Thursday press conference in Laos.

Nakatani discouraged Dong and China from violating Japan’s airspace again with military aircraft, following an incident in August, the Japanese defense minister told reporters.

Nakatani also said he had voiced Japan’s concern on the situation in the East China Sea, including the Senkaku Islands, and China’s increasing military activity in the sea and airspace surrounding Japan.

He expressed concern on the situation in the South China Sea and emphasized the importance of stability in the Taiwan Strait. Nakatani condemned North Korea’s repeated ballistic missile launches. He also expressed serious concerns about the progress of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea before subsequently. Dong also made a statement on Russia and North Korea, but the Japanese defense minister did not reveal it.

The two defense ministers agreed on the on the importance of dialogue and exchanges between defense authorities, including the resumption of unit-to-unit exchanges, which were not held since 2019, he said. Nakatani also confirmed with Dong that the hotline between the two countries’ defense ministries will continue to be operated appropriately and reliably.

Nakatani and Dong plan resume mutual visits by naval vessels and exchanges between the Japan Self-Defense Force and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, which had stopped in 2019. At this point, no specific timing for resumption has been decided.

Japan’s Joint Staff Office issued a Thursday release that said a Russian IL-20 electronic intelligence gathering aircraft flew in from the Russian continent, travelled south over the Sea of ​​Japan, then changed course in the waters northwest of the coast of Noto Peninsula on the main island of Honshu before it headed northwest toward the Russian continent. In response, fighter jets from the Northern Air Defense Command of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and other units were scrambled to respond, according to the release.

Meanwhile Russian Navy ships and a submarine assigned to the Russian Pacific Fleet are making port calls in South East Asia following transits of the South China Sea.

A surface action group consisting of corvettes RFS Gromkiy (335), RFS Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov (339) and RFS Rezkiy (343) and fleet oiler Pechenga docked into Royal Thai Navy Sattahip Naval Base on Thursday for a port visit with a Royal Thai Navy, according to a social media post that also said the Russian ships will be there until Monday.

The surface action group is on an Asia Pacific deployment, recently operating in the South China Sea where it conducted independent training after wrapping up exercise Orruda 2024 in the Java Sea with the Indonesian Navy on Nov. 8.

Meanwhile, Russian submarine RFS Ufa (B-588), together with rescue tug Alatau, pulled into Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) Kota Kinabalu Naval Base on Wednesday, according to a Russian Pacific Fleet Press release, which said this was the first Russian Navy ships to dock at the port. A passage exercise will be conducted between the two navies when the submarine and tug departs, according to the release.

RMN Kota Kinabalu is home to the RMN Submarine Command and the RMN’s two Scorpene class submarines, Australian, Chinese, Japanese and U.S. submarines have called into the base in the past to interact with their RMN counterparts. Ufa is heading to the Russian Pacific Fleet’s submarine base at Kamchatka Naval Base, having being assigned to the fleet following operations in the Mediterranean.

Dzirhan Mahadzir

Dzirhan Mahadzir

Dzirhan Mahadzir is a freelance defense journalist and analyst based in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Among the publications he has written for and currently writes for since 1998 includes Defence Review Asia, Jane’s Defence Weekly, Navy International, International Defence Review, Asian Defence Journal, Defence Helicopter, Asian Military Review and the Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter.

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