A U.S. Navy warship believed to be carrying Marines and sailors to the Middle East is approaching the Straits of Malacca off the coast of Singapore on its way to the region, maritime tracking data showed on Tuesday.
The amphibious assault ship Tripoli was approaching Singapore on the southwestern tip of the South China Sea on Tuesday morning, according to AIS tracking data seen by CNN.
U.S. Navy ships often travel with their AIS transponders turned off. By revealing your location when passing through areas with heavy maritime traffic, such as the waters around Singapore, you can operate more safely.
The Wall Street Journal reported that additional Marines would be transported to the Middle East on the Tripoli. The Marines are coming from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), a 2,200-strong rapid response force based in Okinawa, after the Pentagon ordered the troops to deploy, according to three officials familiar with the plans.
US Central Command has announced that approximately 50,000 US troops are already stationed in the Middle East as part of the war against Iran.
CNN has reached out to the U.S. Navy’s 7th and 5th Fleets for comment.
Officials told CNN that the troops would be sent to the Middle East, but did not say specifically where they would be deployed or what they would be used for.
The MEU consists of four elements: command, ground combat, air combat, and logistics combat. MEUs have typically been used for missions such as evacuations and amphibious operations that require ship-to-shore movement, such as raids and assaults. It also has ground and air combat components, and some units are trained for special operations.
Marinetraffic.com showed the track of an “unspecified U.S. warship” that left Okinawa on March 11 and passed through the South China Sea, approaching Singapore on Tuesday morning at about 32 miles per hour.
Based in Sasebo, Japan, Tripoli is approximately 850 feet long and displaces 45,000 tons, and is essentially a small aircraft carrier, carrying F-35 stealth fighters, MV-22 Osprey transport planes, and landing craft for moving troops ashore.
It is typically the lead ship in an amphibious readiness group that includes the amphibious transport docks USS New Orleans and USS San Diego. CNN on Tuesday was unable to confirm the presence of any small vessels, including the Tripoli, on maritime tracking sites.
This article has been updated with additional reporting.
