In rare move, the Navy sends two aircraft carriers near the Philippines

The Navy just concluded the multi-day deployment of two carrier strike groups to the Philippine Sea, a rare move that comes at a sensitive time ahead of an international tribunal’s ruling on territorial claims by China and other nations in the nearby South China Sea.

The USS John C. Stennis and USS Ronald Reagan, both aircraft carriers, and their associated strike groups launched joint operations Saturday, and completed them by Monday afternoon, said Navy Cmdr. Clayton Doss, a service spokesman. The strike groups carried out a variety of training, including air defense drills, defensive air combat training, long-range strikes and sea surveillance, Navy officials said.

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