PETALING JAYA: A United States warship carrying thousands of Marines and sailors is set to pass through the Malacca Straits en route to the Middle East, according to CNN on Tuesday (March 17).
CNN reported that the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli was approaching Singapore, at the southwestern edge of the South China Sea, Tuesday morning, according to AIS tracking data seen by CNN.
US officials told CNN that the warship was being deployed to the region, though they did not disclose the vessel's exact destination or mission.
"US Navy ships often move with AIS transponders turned off. Revealing their positions while transiting areas with heavy maritime traffic, like the waters around Singapore, enables safer operations," it reported.
Marinetraffic.com showed a track for an “unspecified US warship” departing Okinawa on March 11, through the South China Sea and nearing Singapore Tuesday morning at a speed of about 22 mph.
It was also photographed in the Singapore Strait on March 17 according to the Military Aviation Photography Singapore Facebook page.
The warship is believed to be carrying troops from the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), a rapid-response force of 2,200 personnel members, after the Pentagon ordered the unit to deploy, according to three officials familiar with the plans.
Based in Sasebo, Japan, the USS Tripoli is nearly 260m long with a displacement of 45,000 tonnes. It originally served as a small aircraft carrier.
The vessel carries F-35 stealth fighters, MV-22 Osprey transporters, and landing craft used to move troops ashore.
The movement of the warship highlights how the conflict in the Middle East is having a strategic impact on South-East Asia.
Crucial waterways like the Malacca Straits remain critical transit routes for military assets and logistics.
