A US Navy aircraft carrier just landed in China's 'backyard'

A US aircraft carrier has just arrived in Malaysia, and it's a big deal: every time a US Navy Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft arrives for a port call, you could say it's a big deal affair. Pulling a warship weighing around 97,000 tons fully loaded requires careful planning and constant coordination with local authorities.

Earlier this week, the fifth Nimitz-class flat-top USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) arrived in Port Klang, Malaysia, for only its second scheduled port call during its 2024 deployment. It's a really big deal for several reasons: it is the first time that a US Navy aircraft carrier has visited this maritime Southeast Asian country since 2012, but also the first since a rather unfortunate scandal.

“This historic visit reaffirms Malaysia’s importance to the United States,” said U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan. “This highlights our shared commitment to regional stability and Malaysian sovereignty, providing an invaluable opportunity for collaboration between our navies and key leaders.”

Maybe a little annoying

The last US carrier to visit Port Klang was the USS George Washington (CVN-73) in October 2012, just as the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-73) also arrived in Kota Kinabalu for a stopover a few days later. early. As USNI News reported, this was a “rare occasion where a country hosted consecutive stops by U.S. carriers.” Stennis' visit allowed the United States to send a message to China by arranging a carrier visit near the disputed Spratly Islands.

This time, CVN-72 arrived at Port Klang Cruise Terminal, known as Glenn Cruise Terminal when it was operated by Glenn Defense Marine Asia, which was owned by Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis. The name may not mean anything to you, but he is infamous in US Navy circles, having been sentenced to 15 years in prison earlier this month for what has been described as the largest corruption scandal to hit the United States Navy, where he overcharged the United States Navy $35 million for his company's services.

The case also involved nine members of the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet, who were indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2017 for conspiring with Francis and receiving bribes. GDMA routinely overcharged the U.S. Navy for goods and services, including fuel, tugboats, and sewage disposal. Francis was due to be sentenced in 2022 after admitting to orchestrating a decade-long bribery scheme in which officials received millions of dollars in cash, provided luxury trips, booze and high-end cigars. of the range, and even prostitutes.

However, he ignored this sentence and fled the country. U.S. authorities lured him to Venezuela last year and he was brought back to the country. In addition to the 15-year prison sentence, his company was sentenced to five years of probation and fined $36 million.

Did the US Navy try to avoid Malaysia?

The US Navy was quick to suggest that “more than 4,200 sailors and Marines stationed aboard Abraham Lincoln will enjoy the country's culture and history”, with Port Klang apparently not the first choice. USNI News cited a defense official, who said that the CVN-72 could have arrived at Changi Naval Base in Singapore, but that “the navigation grounds for entry into Singapore's ports were more congested than usual and logistics and maintenance service companies were also closed.”

The report adds that merchant shipping around the island nation has increased as ships “arrive outside of scheduled times in Asia because they are diverting to avoid Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.” It is from these same waters that the USS Abraham Lincoln was deployed for several months.

Sources also told USNI News that the carrier's visit could reduce any “lasting stigma created by the scandal,” while also showing that the United States is committed to working with Malaysia. The US Navy had lifted its ban on the Port Klang cruise terminal in 2017, but the US Seventh Fleet command ship, USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), was the first to dock there last July .

Experience and expertise of the author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a writer based in Michigan. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites with more than 3,200 published articles during a twenty-year career in journalism. He writes regularly on military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing editor for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can send an email to the author: [email protected].

Image credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.

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