The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) docked at the Port Klang Cruise Terminal, Malaysia, on the morning of December 29, marking the second US Navy carrier visit to the country in just over a month.
This follows the USS Abraham Lincoln’s (CVN-72) visit to the same terminal on November 23, the first US carrier to do so since 2012.
The Carl Vinson, along with its strike group—including the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG-9) and guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett (DDG-104) and USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110)—arrived at the port near Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, just after sunrise. The visit is part of a broader effort to strengthen US-Malaysia defense relations, which has been a key focus in recent years.
In a Navy news release, Rear Adm. Michael Wosje, commander of Carrier Strike Group One, highlighted the visit’s significance, stating, “Malaysia is a key partner for us in the Indo-Pacific. Our visit reinforces the importance of this partnership to the United States.”
“Visiting Port Klang provides us with an important and unique opportunity to collaborate with our Royal Malaysian Navy counterparts, continuing to build upon our strategic and mutually beneficial partnership, while also providing our Sailors well-deserved downtime to explore the area and build connections within the community,” he added.
Although the exact length of Carl Vinson’s port stay remains unspecified, the carrier is expected to remain in Malaysia through the New Year. A typical port call for a US aircraft carrier lasts around four days, as seen during the USS Abraham Lincoln’s four-day stop in November.
This visit is part of ongoing US efforts to strengthen its Indo-Pacific alliances. The two aircraft carrier visits this year coincide with the 10th anniversary of the US-Malaysia Comprehensive Partnership, which was formalized in 2014.
Carrier spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Devin Arneson specified that as part of their stay, sailors from the Carl Vinson will participate in community service, including volunteering at animal shelters and the Pure Life Society, a home for orphans and underprivileged children.
The USS Carl Vinson, which last visited Malaysia in January 2011, departed its homeport at Naval Air Station North Island, California, on November 18 for a scheduled deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
Since it arrived in the region, the strike group has conducted flight operations in the Philippine Sea and transited the Surigao and Balabac straits in the Philippines. Before arriving in Malaysia, the group was operating in the South China Sea.
Why Visits to Malaysia Are On The Rise?
The recent uptick in US Navy warship visits to Malaysia, including the back-to-back carrier stops by USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Carl Vinson, is a notable shift after a decade-long decline tied to the fallout from the “Fat Leonard” corruption scandal.
This renewed engagement reflects both operational adjustments and strategic priorities in the Indo-Pacific.
From 2009 to 2014, Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis and his company Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA) managed US port visits across Southeast Asia, steering them to terminals under their control. During this period, US Navy carriers routinely docked at the Glenn Cruise Terminal in Port Klang, averaging two visits annually.
However, the 2013 arrest of Francis in San Diego for orchestrating a corruption network led to the terminal being deemed off-limits by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. A scheduled carrier visit in late 2013 was canceled, and US Navy ships ceased calling at the terminal.
Even after Malaysia’s Boustead Holdings acquired the terminal in 2014 and renamed it the Boustead Cruise Centre, the US Navy maintained its ban. The terminal, though operational, saw limited use, hosting foreign warships like Bangladesh Navy’s BNS Somudra Joy and the UK’s HMS Daring, but no US vessels.
In 2017, the US Navy lifted its ban, allowing the Expeditionary Fast Transport ship USNS Fall River to dock during the Pacific Partnership 2017.
However, US carriers remained absent due to logistical concerns and reluctance to revisit a terminal tainted by GDMA’s monopoly over husbanding services. By 2019, the terminal had changed ownership again, becoming the Port Klang Cruise Terminal under a joint venture between North Port Malaysia and Westport Malaysia.
Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic further delayed the resumption of US Navy visits. Restrictions on foreign entry prevented port calls until July 2024, when the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), the US 7th Fleet command ship, docked at Port Klang for the first time in years.
One of the barriers to renewed carrier visits was GDMA’s former control over husbanding services, which left no alternative providers for supporting US carriers in Malaysia. The recent visits, however, indicate a shift in the Navy’s contracting approach.
For example, Inchcape Shipping Services managed logistics for the Abraham Lincoln’s visit, with various companies sharing responsibilities to ensure no single entity monopolizes operations.
Beyond operational changes, strategic considerations are driving the renewed tempo of US Navy visits. Southeast Asia’s importance in the Indo-Pacific has grown amid increasing competition with China.
Port Klang has hosted Chinese naval task groups, including during Beijing’s first bilateral military exercise with Malaysia in 2015. In May, the 45th Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce also stopped at Port Klang, Malaysia, for a four-day visit to rest and resupply.
By re-establishing a visible presence in Malaysia, the US Navy not only counters China’s influence but also rebuilds trust and reduces the lingering stigma of the GDMA scandal. The carriers’ return to Port Klang signals a commitment to fostering stronger ties with Malaysia and ensuring a stable, collaborative regional presence.
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