Triple Aircraft Carrier Exercise Sends Warning to China

Aircraft carriers from the United States, France and Japan have been taking part in a rare war game in the Western Pacific Ocean this week amid China's rapid naval buildup.

Newsweek has emailed both the Chinese defense and foreign ministries for comment.

Why It Matters

Both the U.S. and France have dispatched nuclear-powered aircraft carriers to the Western Pacific Ocean for deployments, according to Newsweek's weekly update. Japan is currently converting two helicopter-carrying destroyers into the country's first aircraft carriers since World War II.

China's navy, the largest in the world by hull count, has two aircraft carriers in service, while a third is expected to be operational in the first half of 2025. The Pentagon assessed that the Chinese military is in the early stages of operating its "multi-carrier force."

What To Know

The exercise, code-named Pacific Steller 2025 and hosted by France, began on February 8 in the Philippine Sea, a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines, and is scheduled to conclude on February 18, according to the U.S. and Japanese navies.

The ships participating are the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the FS Charles de Gaulle from France and JS Kaga from Japan. The Kaga conducted flight tests with American stealth fighter jets in California last October.

Photos released by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force on Thursday showed the three "flattop" warships sailing in formation with other vessels. The Japanese navy said it will strengthen cooperation with the American and French navies in the Indo-Pacific region.

The U.S. Navy said the exercise, which was a "multi-large deck event," is aimed at advancing coordination and cooperation between the three navies, promoting a shared dedication to regional stability, and demonstrating America's power projection capability.

The tri-carrier drill came as seven Chinese warships, including one armed with a suspected laser weapon, reached the Philippine Sea earlier this week. The Pentagon has said the Chinese navy is continuing its development into a global force, enabling it to extend its reach beyond East Asia.

Citing a Chinese expert, China's state-run tabloid Global Times claimed that Paris had taken Beijing's concerns into account and exercised restraint to avoid "unnecessary tensions" as the France-led exercise did not take place in the disputed South China Sea. China has long claimed sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, claims that overlap with those of neighboring nations. It has also accused the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, of repeatedly inviting countries outside the South China Sea area for joint military activities.

What People Are Saying

U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Michael Wosje, commander of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, said in a press release: "Coordinated operations between USS Carl Vinson, FS Charles de Gaulle, and JS Kaga strengthen our alliances and deter our adversaries. Together, we seek to maintain an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, free of all forms of coercion, and we're excited to work alongside our allies and partners who share that vision."

French Navy Rear Admiral Jacques Mallard, commander of the Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group, said in a press release: "It is a great opportunity for the French Carrier Strike Group to cooperate with our partners in the Indo-Pacific during the whole deployment. While France is a resident nation of the Indo-Pacific, it has not deployed its [Carrier Strike Group] to this part of the world for a long time."

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force said in a post on X (formerly Twitter): "France is an exceptional partner for Japan in realizing [Free and Open Indo-Pacific], and Japan and France have been collaborating all over the world. French Navy's involvement in this region is valuable for [Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force]."

What Happens Next

It remains to be seen how far the Charles de Gaulle will sail into the Pacific Ocean as it is the first French aircraft carrier to be dispatched to the region since 1968.