The United States stealth destroyer USS Michael Monsoor, which is set to be upgraded with hypersonic missiles, arrived in Japan following China’s recent demonstration of naval power.
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The Michael Monsoor is one of three Zumwalt-class destroyers that serve in the U.S. Navy, the others being USS Zumwalt and USS Lyndon B. Johnson. It began its Pacific deployment in March, departing Naval Base San Diego, a Newsweek map showed.
The Zumwalt-class warships feature a hull design that reduces radar reflection and makes them more difficult to detect. They are also being modified to launch hypersonic missiles, a weapon capable of traveling at more than five times the speed of sound.
The presence of an American stealth warship in Japan—a U.S. ally—comes after China’s simultaneous deployment of two aircraft carriers last month on the eastern side of the first island chain, a U.S. defensive line comprising Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines in the western Pacific.
What To Know
According to photos released by the U.S. Navy, the Michael Monsoor arrived at Yokosuka Naval Base near Tokyo on Monday for a scheduled port visit. The base also serves as the home port for USS George Washington, a U.S. aircraft carrier forward-deployed in Japan.
The Michael Monsoor is currently forward-deployed and assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15, according to a photo caption. The squadron—the U.S. Navy’s largest destroyer unit—is the principal surface force of the Seventh Fleet, responsible for operations in the western Pacific.
This marked the second time Yokosuka Naval Base hosted a Zumwalt-class destroyer. The first ship built in the class, the Zumwalt, made a port call at the base from late September to early October 2022 during its three-month operational testing period in the Pacific Ocean.
Prior to its visit to Japan, the Michael Monsoor stopped at Naval Base Guam in April, according to photos released by the U.S. Navy. Guam, the U.S.’s westernmost territory, is at the center of the second island chain—which stretches from Japan to the island of New Guinea.
It remains unclear whether the Michael Monsoor will return to San Diego after the port call, thus concluding its Pacific deployment, or continue patrolling the waters surrounding China.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Navy said in a fact sheet last updated in January 2023: “Stealthy, powerful, and lethal, the Navy created the Zumwalt-class to bridge from current needs to future capabilities, adding space and power accommodating systems not yet imagined but designed to counter adversaries that challenge us now and in the decades to come.”
The War Zone, a specialist outlet, wrote about the Zumwalt-class destroyers’ hypersonic missile launchers in January: “Overall, the hypersonic missiles are viewed as an important new very-long-range strike capability for use against high-value strategic-level targets, especially in a future high-end fight, such as one against China in the Pacific.”
What Happens Next
The U.S. Navy is expected to maintain its presence in the western Pacific by deploying ships to the region amid China’s increasing naval activities.
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