4 June 2017, 18:02 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US Navy said in a press release on Thursday the aircraft carrier Nimitz, the centerpiece of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group 11, has sailed into its 7th Fleet area of operations.
"While operating on patrol in 7th Fleet, Nimitz is slated to enhance maritime partnerships and promote peace and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region," the release stated.
Cruising with Nimitz are the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers Howard, Shoup, Pinckney and Kidd, the release noted.
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser Princeton is also part of the strike group, according to the release.
The 7th Fleet's area of operations spans 48 million square miles from the International Date Line to the Western Indian Ocean, the release noted.
Nimitz' last cruise to the Western Pacific was in 2013.
