US "Aircraft Carrier Equipped with North Korea Dam Destruction Unit"... Reason for Disclosure

Deck of the USS Ronald Reagan. (Photo by Ministry of National Defense Joint Press Corps)

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is expected to dock in Busan later this month. The visit of the nuclear carrier to South Korea is interpreted as a strong warning message to North Korea, which is believed to have completed preparations for nuclear testing and is preparing to conduct a test launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

On the 13th (Hawaii Standard Time), the U.S. Navy released photos of the Ronald Reagan conducting flight training in the Pacific Ocean. The F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jets appearing in the photos belong to the 195th Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA 195) "Dambusters" of the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group. The unit's nickname "Dambusters" originates from the precise low-altitude flight torpedo attack that destroyed the strategic North Korean Hwacheon Dam on May 1, 1951. The disclosure of the squadron’s nickname history is unusual and can be interpreted as a deliberate warning message to North Korea.

Commissioned in 2003, the Ronald Reagan carries over 80 aircraft, including Super Hornet (F/A-18) fighters and E-2D airborne early warning aircraft, earning it the nickname "floating military base." After docking in Busan, the Ronald Reagan is expected to conduct joint exercises with the Republic of Korea Navy in the East Sea.

This will be the first time in about five years since November 2017, when three U.S. nuclear carriers visited the East Sea simultaneously following North Korea's sixth nuclear test, that a U.S. nuclear carrier has conducted joint exercises with the ROK Navy in the Korean Theater of Operations (KTO). Although the carrier has previously visited South Korea for events such as the Jeju Fleet Review, those visits were not for training purposes.

U.S. Navy Task Force 70 announced on the 12th that the Ronald Reagan departed Yokosuka Naval Base three weeks after arriving to continue its year-round Indo-Pacific reconnaissance mission.

Regarding the Ronald Reagan’s mission, the Navy only stated that it will "strengthen adherence to a rules-based international order with allies and partners and maintain presence and flexibility in the region," without providing specific details about the visit to South Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.