It's the season in the South China Sea!

After the British Carrier Strike Group in August, another inconspicuous formation consisting of a carrier group and LCS frigate is sailing the sea area to show its colours and presence! The USS TULSA (LCS 16, Littoral Combat Ship) of the INDEPENDENCE class with its characteristic trimaran design complements the carrier group around the USS CARL VINSON Carrier Strike Group (CVN 70, VINCSG) during the scheduled Freedom of Navigation Operations in the sea area between the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam claimed by China in violation of international conventions. The LCS, which is optimised for shallow water operations, provides the CSG with additional capabilities that need to be trained and incorporated into the carrier group's spectrum above and below water, which are not usually accompanied by LCS variants. These include the long-range Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) and the mine defence component, all in areas on the nautical chart that represent sheer horror for a deep-water carrier group, shaded in red. Just the right thing for waters dotted with atolls and reefs

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