Newly released official images capture the USS George Washington and its carrier strike group navigating the Philippine Sea this Monday. According to the U.S. Navy, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is currently operating within the Seventh Fleet’s jurisdiction, which spans across the western Pacific and the Indian Oceans.

🌊 The Philippine Sea is situated east of the strategic First Island Chain—a critical defense buffer made up of Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. This chain plays a pivotal role in the U.S.’s Indo-Pacific strategy, serving as a barrier designed to contain the movements of the Chinese navy—currently the world’s largest fleet by number of ships—should a regional conflict erupt.