WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Navy will swap three ships stationed in Japan with newer, better-equipped ones to boost American deterrence in the face of China's continued military buildup.
The USS Green Bay, an amphibious transport dock ship, will replace the USS Denver at the naval base in Sasebo next February, the Navy said Wednesday. These vessels are designed to land troops and equipment in amphibious operations and could thus be used to defend outlying Japanese islands.