USS Tripoli warship to pass through Malacca Straits en route to Middle East

US officials said the warship was deployed to the region, without disclosing its destination or mission. Read more at straitstimes.com.

PETALING JAYA - A United States warship carrying thousands of Marines and sailors is set to pass through the Malacca Straits en route to the Middle East, according to CNN on March 17.

CNN reported that the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli was approaching Singapore, at the southwestern edge of the South China Sea on the morning of March 17, according to AIS tracking data seen by CNN.

US officials told CNN that the warship was being deployed to the region, though they did not disclose the vessel’s exact destination or mission.

“US Navy ships often move with AIS transponders turned off. Revealing their positions while transiting areas with heavy maritime traffic, like the waters around Singapore, enables safer operations,” it reported.

Marinetraffic.com showed a track for an “unspecified US warship” departing Okinawa on March 11, through the South China Sea and nearing Singapore at March 17 at a speed of about 22mph (35.4kmh).

It was also photographed in the Singapore Strait on March 17 according to the Military Aviation Photography Singapore Facebook page.