The U.S. Navy is deploying a third Carrier Strike Group to Asia to reinforce the two already patrolling the South China Sea as the United States continues to strengthen its already formidable naval air forces in this volatile area.

The Carrier Strike Group of the Nimitz-class nuclear powered supercarrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) will deploy to Asia on January 5 and 6, 2017 from Naval Base San Diego, principal homeport of the United States Pacific Fleet, announced the Navy.

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Escorting the Carl Vinson to Asia will be the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG-57) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG-108). Another guided missile destroyer, the USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112), will later join the three warships.

The USS Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group consists of 7,500 sailors and airmen attached to various squadrons under Carrier Air Wing 2.

The Navy said the strike group will focus on "maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts, conducting exercises with partner nations in the western Pacific and Indian oceans."

The USS Carl Vinson is currently the flagship of Carrier Strike Group One, (CSG-1). Other units currently assigned to Carrier Strike Group One include Carrier Air Wing Seventeen; the Ticonderoga-class cruisers USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) and USS Lake Champlain (CG-57) and the warships of Destroyer Squadron 1.

In Asia, the Carl Vinson will join the Carrier Strike Groups of the aircraft carriers USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) from the U.S. Navy Third Fleet and the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) from the U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet.

The Stennis and the Reagan began patrolling Asia and the South China Sea in June to deter China from any rash military moves ahead of the decision of the Permanent Court of Tribunal in The Hague on the Philippines' case against China's claim to own most of the South China Sea.

The court ruled against China's claim on July 12.

The Vinson can carry a maximum 90 aircraft, most of them McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 strike fighters of various marks. This number plus that in the two other Carrier Strike Groups means the U.S. Navy has over 100 fighters ready to either patrol or fight in the South China Sea.

The Stennis and the Reagan have some 80 F/A-18 Hornets that can either engage in air-to-air combat or can attack naval targets such as warships of the outgunned People's Liberation Army Navy.

TagsU.S. Navy, carrier strike group, USS Carl Vinson, USS Lake Champlain, USS Wayne E. Meyer, USS Michael Murphy, Carrier Air Wing 2, South China Sea, china