Defense Minister and Combined Forces Commander Visit US Aircraft Carrier Amid North Korea SLBM Developments

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop and USFK Commander Paul J. LaCamera visited the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), which arrived at Busan Naval Base the previous day, on the 24th.

Minister Lee, along with Commander LaCamera, was guided by Michael Donnelly, Commander of the 5th Carrier Strike Group, touring the hangar, flight deck, control tower, and bridge of the Ronald Reagan. They visited the Combat Information Center (CCC) and received a briefing on the operational posture of the entire carrier strike group across sea, air, and underwater domains.

At the Reagan’s bridge, Minister Lee addressed the ROK-US troops, stating, "The deployment of this US carrier strike group to the Korean Peninsula is a representative example demonstrating the capability and will that the US security commitment to the Republic of Korea will be firmly upheld under any circumstances," warning that if North Korea attempts to use nuclear weapons, it will face an overwhelming response from the ROK-US alliance.

He also emphasized that the Reagan’s motto reflects the Reagan administration’s foreign policy principle of 'peace through strength,' adding, "This aligns with our Yoon Seok-yeol administration’s security policy of 'peace through strength and deterrence.'"

Commander Donnelly assured Minister Lee, "Through the arrival of the US carrier strike group and the ROK-US joint exercises, we will further solidify our combined operational posture and decisively defeat any provocations from North Korea with overwhelming capability."

Known as a 'floating military base,' the Ronald Reagan, commissioned in 2003, is a 100,000-ton class aircraft carrier carrying approximately 90 aircraft including F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters, E-2D Hawkeye early warning aircraft, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, and about 5,000 crew members.

This visit to the Ronald Reagan is interpreted as a demonstration of the firm combined defense posture by the ROK-US military leadership, visiting a key US strategic asset amid military authorities detecting North Korea’s preparations for a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launch.

The ROK-US Navy plans to conduct realistic joint exercises during the carrier strike group’s visit to improve interoperability and strengthen combined maritime operational capabilities. The joint exercises will include the Ronald Reagan, guided missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52), and nuclear-powered submarine USS Annapolis (SSN-760, 6,000-ton class).

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