Three US aircraft carrier combat groups are operating in the Philippine Sea, adjacent to the South China Sea, in an unprecedented move over the years.

The US Navy's Pacific Fleet on June 21 said two USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Nimitz carrier combat groups have begun joint operations in the Philippine Sea.

"This is a great opportunity for us to train together in complex scenarios. Working together in this environment, we will improve our tactical skills and be ready to face the increasing pressure in the

On the same day, the U.S. Pacific Fleet also released a series of USS Ronald Reagan operations photos in the Phiippine Sea, including a photo of an F / A-18E Super Hornet fighter preparing to take off from the ship.

It is still unclear the specific location of the three groups of US aircraft carriers in the Philippine Sea and whether all three will enter the South China Sea.

This is the first time since 2017 that the US Navy has dispatched three aircraft carriers to operate near the South China Sea, amid tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Location of the Philippine Sea, East Sea and Eo Luzon.

The US Navy has repeatedly conducted freedom of navigation patrols and training near Chinese entities illegally occupying the Paracel and Spratly Islands of Vietnam.

The United States fears Chinese outposts could be used to impede freedom of navigation on important sea lanes through the South China Sea, with about $ 3,000 billion in global cargo passing through each year.

Chinese media criticized the US deployment of three aircraft carriers simultaneously to the South China Sea.

Lie Jie said that China could respond to US activities by conducting naval exercises in the South China Sea, while mentioning some weapons in the Chinese military personnel that are capable of neutralizing aircraft carriers.

The US military has recently struggled with Covid-19 to maintain a military presence in the western Pacific Ocean to reassure allies and prevent China from taking advantage of the pandemic to increase regional influence.

"Our operations demonstrate the navy's resilience and combat readiness, which is a strong message of our commitment to regional security and stability in protecting our interests,

The US Navy has repeatedly operated two groups of aircraft carriers in the western Pacific at the same time, including the South China Sea, East China Sea and the Philippine Sea.

The last time the United States deployed three aircraft carriers to the western Pacific Ocean in November 2017, when the three aircraft carriers Reagan, Roosevelt and Nimitz arrived at the area amid tensions between the US and North Korea.