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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Reuters reports [reuters.com]:

Japan plans to dispatch its largest warship on a three-month tour through the South China Sea beginning in May, three sources said, in its biggest show of naval force in the region since World War Two. China claims almost all the disputed waters and its growing military presence has fueled concern in Japan and the West, with the United States holding regular air and naval patrols to ensure freedom of navigation.

The Izumo helicopter carrier, commissioned only two years ago, will make stops in Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka before joining the Malabar joint naval exercise with Indian and U.S. naval vessels in the Indian Ocean in July.

President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte said he may visit the warship [abs-cbn.com]. The Chinese navy plans to "shadow" foreign military vessels and aircraft [thediplomat.com]. The U.S. is deploying an attack drone [worldtribune.com] to South Korea to respond to recent North Korean missile launches.

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