* China remains determined to claim sovereignty over international waters in the western Pacific
* Strategic importance of the U.S. alliance with Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines
* Large-deck aircraft carrier an important interment in projecting American seapower
* U.S. Navy not prepared to counter Russian maritime buildup in the eastern Mediterranean
Caption
Gunners from the Armed Forces of Ukraine fire at Russian position with a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer 2C22 in the Kharkiv region on April 21, 2024. (Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images)