US Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Korea on 23rd... Joint Exercises in East Sea

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) will visit South Korea for the first time in five years. It is set to send a strong warning message to North Korea, which has completed preparations for a nuclear test, by conducting joint U.S.-South Korea exercises in the East Sea.

According to the Navy on the 19th, the carrier strike group, including the USS Ronald Reagan, will enter the Busan operational base on the 23rd to strengthen friendly cooperation between the U.S. and South Korean navies and participate in joint maritime exercises in the East Sea.

In response to North Korea, which has completed preparations for its seventh nuclear test and recently declared an expansion of the scope for preemptive and arbitrary use of nuclear weapons through the legalization of its nuclear policy, the U.S. and South Korea will resolutely confront this with a combined defense posture, demonstrating the strong will of the ROK-U.S. alliance for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

The U.S. carrier strike group entering the Busan operational base consists of three ships: the USS Ronald Reagan, the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), and the Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52). This marks the first time in five years since October 2017 that a U.S. aircraft carrier has entered the Busan operational base for training purposes.

In November of that year, when North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test, three U.S. carriers?the USS Ronald Reagan, USS Nimitz (CVN-68), and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)?were simultaneously deployed to the East Sea, conducting joint exercises with the South Korean Navy in the Korean Theater of Operations (KTO). Since then, a U.S. carrier visited the 2018 Jeju International Fleet Review, but that was not for training purposes. This visit follows the agreements between the two heads of state in May this year to "deploy U.S. strategic assets in a timely and coordinated manner" and the agreement between the defense ministers in July to "strengthen the alliance's deterrence posture, including the deployment of U.S. strategic assets in the Korean Peninsula region," according to the Navy.

During the carrier strike group's stay, the U.S. and South Korean navies will conduct mutual ship visits, friendly sports activities, and joint volunteer work at social welfare facilities to promote goodwill between the two countries, all while adhering to COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

The 100,000-ton USS Ronald Reagan, commissioned in 2003, carries over 80 aircraft, including F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters and E-2D airborne early warning aircraft, earning it the nickname "floating military base."

In the joint statement from the high-level Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) held on the 16th, the U.S. and South Korea emphasized that the deployment of the Ronald Reagan carrier strike group in the region clearly demonstrates the commitment to the timely and effective deployment of strategic assets in the region.

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