Washington To Peijing: I'm Watching You As Two U.S Aircraft Carriers Move to the Philippines.

The U.S. Navy has moved two carrier battle groups into the Philippine Sea to conduct exercises, the first two-carrier exercise in the region in two years. The move comes just before a UN court ruling expected to be against China and its claims in the South China Sea.

The two carrier strike groups (CSGs) field a total of two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, two guided-missile cruisers, and six guided-missile destroyers. Two nuclear attack submarines would normally be part of the combined CSG makeup but their presence was not confirmed by the Navy. 

Together, the two carrier battle groups have a powerful strike force of approximately 140 aircraft, including eighty F/A-18 Hornets. That, plus approximately 700 missile silos. 

The Bremerton, Washington-based USS John C. Stennis is the centerpiece of Carrier Strike Group Three, which also includes the Aegis cruiser USS Mobile Bay and guided missile destroyers USS William P. Lawrence, USS Chung-Hoon and USS Stockdale. CSG 3 has been nicknamed the "Great Green Fleet" due to its use of energy-saving measures and alternative biofuels. 

Carrier Groups 3 and 5 operating in the Philippine Sea.

The USS Ronald Reagan is based in Yokosuka, Japan and is part of Carrier Strike Group 5. Other ships include the Aegis cruiser USS Chancellorsville and guided-missile destroyers USS Curtis Wilbur, USS McCampbell, and USS Benfold.

This is the first two-carrier exercise in the Western Pacific in two years in part because effects of the budget sequestration have drained Navy readiness levels. Meanwhile, two other carriers, the Truman and Eisenhower, are operating in the Mediterranean against Islamic State targets. 

The timing of the two-carrier exercise is not a coincidence; the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is expected to rule imminently on China's claims in the South China Sea versus the Philippines. Some experts believe that China may be tempted to lash out militarily if it loses the ruling. While the two carrier battle groups are operating on the other side of the Philippines, a major American ally, their presence could deter China from undertaking any military action. 

http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a21430/us-navy-carries-out-dual-carrier-operations-in-the-philippine-sea/