A United States Navy Flattop Is Now Operating In The South China Sea

U.S. Navy Presence Near China

The United States Navy routinely deploys its aircraft carriers to the South China Sea as part of its ongoing freedom of navigation operations and to maintain a visible military presence in the Indo-Pacific. China currently claims about 90% of the body of water, and has militarized the region with artificial islands and coast guard blockades.

However, due to the situation in the Middle East, the USS Abraham Lincoln was the last supercarrier to operate in the waters that Beijing views as its primary maritime frontier.

That fact may explain why the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group has returned to the South China Sea, even as the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed supercarrier, the USS George Washington (CVN-73), began its 2026 patrol, and this week was operating in the Philippine Sea. The sixth Nimitz-class carrier completed the first post-midlife refueling deployment last December, returning to her homeport of Yokosuka, Japan, just before Christmas.

The U.S. Navy hasn’t indicated if CVN-73 and LHD-4 will take part in integrated operations yet; it is common for the warships to routinely operate in the same theater to project joint combat power.

Flattops Carrying Fifth-Generation Fighter

It is also notable that both the USS George Washington and USS Boxer are embarked with some of the most capable combat aircraft in service with the U.S. Navy.

CVN-73 hosts Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5), which operates a mix of F-35C Lightning II fifth-generation stealth fighters, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets for air superiority, and EA-18 Growlers, the electronic attack aircraft variant of the Super Hornet. In addition, CVW-5 also consists of squadrons flying the E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning and control aircraft, the MH-60R/S Sea Hawk anti-submarine and search-and-rescue helicopters, and the CMV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft that are used for cargo and personnel transport.

The USS Boxer has a standard complement of around six F-35B Lightning IIs, the short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, and MV-22B Ospreys.

Named For A Royal Navy Warship

LHD-4 is the sixth U.S. Navy warship to be named USS Boxer. The name’s origin is unique in that it isn’t for a battle, an important person, a state, city, or even an ideal. Instead, the name was taken from a Bold-class gun brig that first served as HMS Boxer with the UK’s Royal Navy. In that case, the name was taken from a competitor in a boxing match.

Moreover, although the U.S. Navy operated six ships with the name, including the Essex-class conventionally-powered aircraft carrier that saw service in the Korean War, there have been 10 Royal Navy warships named HMS Boxer.

In addition to the brig that included a Dapper-class gunboat and the Beacon-class gun vessel in the 19th century, there was the Land Ship, a Tank amphibious warfare ship that saw service in the Allied invasion of Italy and later the invasion of Normandy. The most recent HMS Boxer (F92) was the Type 22 frigate that was launched in 1981 and sunk as a target in August 2004.

LHD-4 is the fourth Wasp-class amphibious assault ship. She was laid down in April 1991, launched two years later in August 1993, and commissioned in February 1995.

LHD-4 Is Not An Aircraft Carrier

With its flat flight deck, it would be easy to mistake LHD-7 for an “aircraft carrier,” however, the conventionally powered warship was designed for different mission objectives.

Although nearly as large as the aircraft carriers operated by several nations, the LHDs serve in a different role than the U.S. Navy’s time-proven Nimitz-class and new Gerald R. Ford-class of nuclear-powered supercarriers. Each of the Wasp-class flattops is capable of transporting and deploying almost the full strength of a United States Marine Corps Marine Expeditionary Unit, and landing them in hostile territory either via helicopters or landing craft.

The LHDs can also provide air support with short-takeoff-and-landing multirole fighters, previously the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II and, with certain modifications, the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II.

At 844 feet long with a beam of 106 feet, the Wasp-class is essentially a floating military base. There are six cargo elevators for moving materiel and supplies from the cargo holds, as well as two aircraft elevators. The LHDs can carry three Landing Craft Air Cushion, a dozen Landing Craft Mechanized, or upwards of forty Amphibious Assault Vehicles. The flight deck features nine helicopter landing spots.

In addition to a crew of some 1,075 sailors, each LHD can carry upwards of embarked troops. However, unlike the troop transports from the early 20th century, which were essentially floating cattle cars, the vessels offer reasonable accommodations for those on board. All manned spaces and berthing areas, which are subdivided to provide semi-private spaces without adversely affecting efficiency, are individually heated and air-conditioned. Although the warships would never be mistaken for luxury cruise ships, they offer multiple amenities, including a state-of-the-art Library Multi-Media Resource Center with Internet access, a weight room, arcade machines, and even satellite TV capabilities.

The ships offer medical and dental capabilities and can provide medical treatment for up to 600 casualties. There are six operating rooms, including four main and two emergency rooms; four dental operating rooms; x-ray rooms; a blood bank; and patient wards with sixty-four patient beds. An additional 526 beds can also be set up in an Overflow Casualty Ward. The vessels are fitted with medical elevators that enable the rapid transfer of casualties from the flight deck and hangar bay.

The United States Navy operates a total of seven Wasp-class amphibious assault ships, after the sixth – the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) – was decommissioned in 2021 after being damaged in a fire.