Navy to forward-deploy USS America, USS New Orleans to Japan

[soryang]

Navy to forward-deploy USS America, USS New Orleans to Japan
ByEd Adamczyk
April 26 UPI

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/04/26/Navy-to-forward-deploy-USS-America-USS-New-Orleans-to-Japan/2881556293826/

As the amphibious assault ship and landing platform dock head to Sasebo, Japan, the USS Stethem and USS Wasp will head back to their home ports for upgrades and maintenance.

Two Navy ships will be forward-deployed to Japan while two others will return to the United States for maintenance, the Navy announced on Friday.

The amphibious assault ship USS America and San Antonio-class landing transport dock USS New Orleans will join the U.S. 7th Fleet forward-deployed naval forces in Sasebo, Japan. The guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem will travel from Japan to San Diego, its new home port, for scheduled modernization, and the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp will shift its home port to Norfolk, Va., to undergo scheduled maintenance.

The USS America serves in support of F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft as part of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Combat Element.

So the current US power projection ashore naval forces in the region now include USS America LHA, USS New Orleans LPD, USS Green Bay LPD, and USS Ashland LSD. By replacing the USS Wasp, with two amphibious ships, the US marine amphibious force combat capability in northeast Asia is increased.

[kimbutgar]

1. Getting closer for awar with Iran?

Bolton biggest wet dream is a war with Iran and fat Donnie needs a war to pump up his ratings.

Somehow I don’t see Americans having an appetite for another war in the Middle East and since 55% disapprove and wouldn’t vote for him it’s going to hurt him even more. We need to tell magas they need to get their AR15’s and go over there themselves.

[soryang]

2. I was thinking North Korea

or China related situations. Officially, 7th Fleet doesn't extend that far (Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea) for area of operations, I guess they could go there under some conceivable circumstances. Given the situations with North Korea in northeast Asia, and China in the East and South China seas I don't think they will leave the assigned Indo-Pacific region.

This is from the Navy 7th Fleet website:

AO: Covers 48 million square miles of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from the International Date Line to the India/Pakistan border and from the Kuril Islands in the north to the Antarctic in the south. The region Includes 36 maritime countries, more than 50 percent of the world’s population, 3,000 languages and seven of the world’s 10 largest militaries. The U.S. maintains mutual defense treaties with five allies in the region to include the Philippines, Australia, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Thailand."

I came across the news in a speculative podcast about potential US military operations against Kim Jong Un.