US aircraft carrier, cruisers visit Manila

US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) is on a visit to Manila, Philippines, together with two Ticonderoga-class cruisers.

Accompanied by cruisers USS Antietam (CG 54) and USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), Reagan arrived in Manila for a scheduled port visit on June 26.

“Manila is one of the favorite port visits for sailors in the Pacific thanks to the beauty and welcoming people of the Philippines,” said Rear Adm. Marc Dalton, commander, Task Force 70. “I’m very proud of all the sailors in this task force. They are dedicated, capable, professionals and they are the core of the US Navy, and they allow this task force to conduct its operations.”

“This scheduled patrol is part of our training and operations that we routinely conduct, just as we have for the past seven decades,” said Dalton. “This continued presence in the Indo-Pacific, at sea, and in visits to ports like this, promotes security and stability that has driven the peace and prosperity that benefits all regional countries.”

The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is forward-deployed to the US 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

The aircraft carrier is currently on a regular western Pacific Ocean patrol which started May 29 as the ship got underway from its forward-deployed homeport in Yokosuka, Japan.