American officials said on Friday that the littoral combat ship USS Montgomery and the replenishment ship USNS Cesar Chavez were sent to conduct a ‘presence operation’ in the South China Sea near a Panamanian-flagged drill ship West Capella.
The move sends a strong message to Chinese ships, which have reportedly spent weeks harassing the commercial vessel.
A five-nation stare-down near Malaysia has left U.S. allies shaken and China emboldened.https://t.co/fmR3VlVwBD
— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) May 8, 2020
U.S. littoral combat ship USS Montgomery and dry cargo ship USNS Cesar Chavez operate near West Capella drillship in the South China Sea. @USNavy https://t.co/MgjfAC5Sf6 pic.twitter.com/IJihIh7fTV
— AMTI (@AsiaMTI) May 8, 2020