The America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) will move to Sasebo, Japan, as part of a scheduled rotation of forces in the Pacific, the U.S. Navy announced today.

Tripoli will replace USS America (LHA 6), which will depart Sasebo and move to San Diego.

The forward presence of Tripoli supports the United States’ commitment to the defense of Japan, enhances the national security of the United States and improves its ability to protect strategic interests. Tripoli will directly support the Defense Strategic Guidance to posture the most capable units forward in the Indo-Pacific Region.

The United States values Japan’s contributions to the peace, security and stability of the Indo-Pacific and its long-term commitment and hospitality in hosting U.S. forces forward deployed there. These forces, along with their counterparts in the Japan Self-Defense Forces, make up the core capabilities needed by the alliance to meet our common strategic objectives.

The security environment in the Indo-Pacific requires that the U.S. Navy station the most capable ships forward. This posture allows the most rapid response times for maritime and joint forces, and brings our most capable ships with the greatest amount of striking power and operational capability to bear in the timeliest manner.

Maintaining a forward-deployed naval force capability with the most advanced ships supports the United States’ commitment to the defense of Japan and the security and stability of the vital Indo-Pacific region.