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It is normal to observe US naval 'presence' in the Pacific to include activities off Japan, Korea, Russia and so on.US to base four warships in Singapore as China flexes military muscles
The four combat ships are designed to fight in coastal areas and represent further signs of America's military tilt to Asia
The USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) sits docked at Sembawang Wharves during a port of call in Singapore on February 17, 2015
Four US warships designed to fight in coastal areas similar to south-east Asian waters will operate out of Singapore by 2018, a senior US Navy official said Tuesday, further underscoring Washington's military tilt to Asia.
The "rotational deployment" of the vessels, called littoral combat ships (LCS), comes as China continues to flex its muscles in the South China Sea and tensions remain on the Korean Peninsula.
"We will soon see up to four LCS here in Singapore as we rotationally deploy Seventh Fleet ships," said Rear Admiral Charles Williams.
"We envision four ships here by May 2017 to sometime in 2018... but I think what you have is that by 2018, four LCS ships will be rotationally deployed here to Singapore."
Williams, commander of the Seventh Fleet's Task Force 73, was speaking to reporters aboard the USS Fort Worth, an LCS on a 16-month deployment to south-east Asia.
It replaced another LCS, the USS Freedom, which recently ended an eight-month tour of duty.
The USS Fort Worth is set to take part in exercise Foal Eagle, a joint military drill with South Korea from 24 February - 6 March.
It will also join regional navies in the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercises and the International Maritime Defence Exhibition.
"The role of the US navy in both south-east Asia and north-east Asia is about presence. It's about being where it matters when it matters," Williams said.
Fast and agile, LCS vessels can be adapted for specific missions through a system of interchangeable modules and crew.
The US Navy plans to build 52 LCS vessels at a total cost of $37 billion but the programme has become controversial due to cost inflation, design and construction issues.
In 2012 the then-US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that Washington would shift the bulk of its naval fleet to the Pacific by 2020 as part of a new strategic focus on Asia.
China is embroiled in a maritime dispute with four south-east Asian countries - Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam - as well as with Taiwan over territorial claims in the South China Sea.
While not a claimant, the United States has said it has an interest to ensure freedom of navigation in the area.
US to base four warships in Singapore as China flexes military muscles | World news | The Guardian
However to base ships in Continental East Asia does indicate that the US is taking the muscle flexing and aggressive illegal claims in the SCS by China as a serious threat to peace, stability and harmony in Asia.
Apparently there is good reasons through intelligence to indicate for the US to believe that actions of China now and in the future is detrimental to the interests of the littoral nations in particular and world, in general.
Is China ratcheting up the chaos in the SCS a notch or two?
Or are the ships being based to patrol alongside China's coast to pick up intelligence off China or even activate instruments to engage China and bring China down a notch or two?
Or is the Obama trying to offset Guilliani's message - "(Obama) doesn't love you. And he doesn't love me. He wasn't brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country"?
Giuliani defends Obama criticism, says president doesn't believe in American exceptionalism | Fox News
