YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — The USS John S. McCain conducted a freedom-of-navigation operation in the South China Sea on Thursday, the second such mission in a week, according to the Navy’s 7th Fleet.
The guided-missile destroyer was sent to challenge Vietnam’s “excessive maritime claims” in the Con Dao Islands, about 150 miles south of Ho Chi Minh City, the 7th Fleet said in a statement the same day.
The Con Dao archipelago is made up of 16 islands, most of which are uninhabited, according to Vietnam-guide.com. The main island, Con Son, is home to several beach resorts and fishing villages.
“The ship conducted normal operations within Vietnam’s claimed territorial seas to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access and navigational freedoms consistent with international law,” the 7thFleet said in the statement.