The U.S. military sent a strong message to China by blowing up the decommissioned USS Tarawa, a 39,000-ton naval ship active from 1976 to 2009, in the Pacific.

The Global Times, a Chinese state-run news outlet, claimed the exercise was clearly aimed at China, noting that the U.S. views China as its primary adversary in the Asia-Pacific region.

The exercise involved dropping a bomb from an Air Force B-2 stealth bomber, demonstrating the U.S. capability to swiftly neutralize maritime threats, the Daily Express has reported.

The sinking exercise, conducted with allies including South Korea and Malaysia, comes as China has been increasingly positioning its naval forces near U.S. allies like the Philippines and Taiwan.

Written by B.C. Begley