WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The 3rd Fleet’s areas of responsibility include the Bering Sea, Alaska and a sector of the Arctic, the Navy report noted.
“The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS [United States Ship] Theodore Roosevelt departed the US 7th Fleet area of operations and entered the US 3rd Fleet area of operations [on] November 13,” the official US Navy website announced.
China has been constructing artificial islands on top of the coral reef habitats of the Spratly Islands, a group of more than 750 islands and reefs, over the past year. Beijing claimed sovereignty over the land and the 12 nautical mile zone surrounding the islands.
The United States has repeatedly warned it does not recognize the Chinese claims of sovereignty over the man-made islands, and has stated it would continue to exercise freedom of navigation there.
On November 5, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter visited the Theodore Roosevelt while it was in the South China to signal America’s determination to maintain a strong naval presence in the region.
