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U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship Cambodia Port Call Signals Naval Recalibration in Southeast Asia.
The U.S. Navy’s Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Cincinnati conducted a port visit to Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base on January 25, 2026, according to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The move carries strategic weight as Washington signals sustained engagement in Southeast Asia amid growing concern over Chinese-funded military infrastructure.
The U.S. Navy quietly but deliberately expanded its regional footprint this week as USS Cincinnati (LCS 20) became the first American warship to dock at Ream Naval Base, a Cambodian facility undergoing significant Chinese-backed expansion. The visit, confirmed by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, comes as maritime access and influence increasingly shape the balance of power across Southeast Asia, particularly in waters tied to the South China Sea. Defense officials characterized the stop as a routine engagement, but the symbolism was difficult to miss.
USS Cincinnati’s port call at Cambodia’s Chinese-funded Ream Naval Base underscores a sharper U.S. push to sustain access and influence in a contested Southeast Asian maritime crossroads (Picture Source: U.S. Navy)
The arrival of USS Cincinnati at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base is a quiet but deliberate counterstroke in the Indo-Pacific maritime chessboard. Long reported to be under renovation with direct assistance from the People’s Republic of China, Ream has drawn international scrutiny for its potential role in Beijing’s expanding naval footprint. In this context, a U.S. Navy warship docking at the facility represents a striking departure from expectations and a subtle challenge to China’s assumed dominance in the area.
USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), an Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship, is purpose-built for forward deployment and high-speed, near-shore operations. Its unique aluminum trimaran hull provides exceptional maneuverability and stability, allowing it to operate in shallow, constrained environments. With a top speed over 40 knots and a modular design supporting rapid mission reconfiguration, the ship carries a 57mm Mk 110 main gun, Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM), and unmanned surface and aerial systems, making it ideal for anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, and surface engagements.
Commissioned in 2019, Cincinnati has participated in a range of operations across the Pacific, supporting presence missions, exercises with regional allies, and deterrence patrols. Its docking at Ream is not a logistical afterthought but a calculated signal of access and intent. It reflects U.S. resolve to remain active in maritime zones increasingly shaped by Chinese economic and military outreach. The location is key: Ream sits on the Gulf of Thailand with direct access to the South China Sea, a region where tensions over sovereignty and freedom of navigation remain high.
From a geostrategic perspective, the visit disrupts the narrative that China is consolidating unchallenged access to naval facilities in Southeast Asia. Ream was widely seen as drifting into Beijing’s orbit, with reports of exclusive Chinese access stoking regional unease. The U.S. warship’s presence complicates that equation. It demonstrates that Cambodia, despite its close alignment with China, is not entirely closed to engagement with the West. For the Pentagon, it offers a chance to test diplomatic waters and challenge perceptions of Chinese exclusivity in a critical node of the Indo-Pacific.
The broader message to regional actors is equally clear: the United States is not ceding influence, and it remains capable of projecting naval power even in geopolitically sensitive ports. This move may also serve to reassure ASEAN nations wary of growing dependency on Chinese security guarantees. In an environment where ports can quickly become symbols of allegiance, Cincinnati’s arrival illustrates the value of flexible, scalable U.S. platforms in contested maritime domains.
While not overtly confrontational, the visit represents a strategic nuance that underscores American adaptability and its enduring commitment to a rules-based regional order. By docking a modern warship in a harbor many considered lost to Chinese influence, the U.S. Navy quietly reasserted its access and raised the stakes in the Indo-Pacific’s increasingly multipolar maritime arena.
The USS Cincinnati’s port call at Ream Naval Base represents a subtle yet significant recalibration of U.S. maritime strategy in Southeast Asia. In a region where naval facilities often serve as strategic signposts, the visit underscores that American sea power remains assertive, adaptive, and engaged, even in areas where China’s influence is assumed to be uncontested. As the Indo-Pacific becomes the central theater for 21st-century naval competition, moves like this will shape the balance of access, perception, and power for years to come.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.