Trying Out the US Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Roosevelt [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

Maritime forces from South Korea, the United States, and Japan gathered in the international waters south of Jeju. The U.S. Navy revealed the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71, 100,000-ton class), which led the joint maritime exercise conducted in the area, on the 11th. This is the first time the U.S. military has shown its strategic asset and flagship nuclear aircraft carrier to the media from the three countries.

On the 11th, during the 'Korea-US-Japan Maritime Exercise' held in the southern international waters of Jeju, an F/A-18E carrier-based aircraft powerfully took off from the US Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). (Photo by Defense Daily)

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On the 11th, during the 'Korea-US-Japan Maritime Exercise' held in the southern waters off Jeju, an F/A-18E carrier-based aircraft powerfully took off from the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the US Navy, as a shooter among the shipboard crew gave the launch signal. (Photo by Defense Daily)

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Reporters boarded the carrier from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, on a C-2 Greyhound transport plane. The transport plane caught the thick steel cable called the “arresting wire” like a fish hook and came to a complete stop in the middle of the flight deck. Aircraft carriers are equipped with devices that provide “unique” experiences to those on board, enabling aircraft to take off and land on a flight deck that is far shorter than on land.

The catapult, which “launches” aircraft off the carrier, works similarly. A Roosevelt official explained, “The catapult accelerates a stationary aircraft to 160 miles per hour (about 249 km/h) in three seconds, during which the occupant experiences nearly three times the force of Earth's gravity.”

When a crew member wearing a yellow vest raised their hand, the aircraft carrier emitted a thunderous sound that pierced the eardrums and launched an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet off the flight deck. The fighter jet sped forward like an arrow released from a bow, briefly tilting to the left in midair before correcting its posture and soaring into the sky in a wide arc. The Roosevelt is known as the filming location for the takeoff and landing scenes highlighted in the movie “Top Gun: Maverick.”

The captain’s quarters were filled with photos and busts of the ship’s namesake, the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. Next to the captain’s room was a “big stick rack” displaying baseball bats and hockey sticks personally signed by famous players from Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Hockey League (NHL). This linked President Roosevelt’s “big stick” diplomacy?emphasizing military strength and a tough foreign policy during his tenure?with America’s premier professional sports and the ultimate strategic asset, the nuclear aircraft carrier.

Christopher Alexander, commander of the U.S. 9th Carrier Air Wing to which the Roosevelt belongs, expressed satisfaction in a meeting with South Korean, U.S., and Japanese reporters, saying, “We are very pleased to work alongside the great allies in this region, the Republic of Korea Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.” However, when asked if the exercise was a warning message to North Korea and China, Alexander was reserved. He responded, “This exercise is a routine operation in international waters and was well coordinated in advance.” He emphasized, “This is an opportunity for us to meet directly with our allies, which is absolutely crucial in times of crisis.”

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