[News Terms] 'Ronald Reagan' Arriving at Busan Port

The USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is the ninth nuclear-powered (Nimitz-class) aircraft carrier belonging to the United States Navy's 7th Fleet. It was commissioned in July 2003 and is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2052, with its home port at Yokosuka, Japan. It was named after Ronald Reagan, who served as the President of the United States from 1981 to 1989.

It operates with two Westinghouse A4W reactors producing a thermal output of 550 MWt and an electrical output of 32 MWe, which drive four steam turbines. Once fueled, it can operate for 20 years without refueling.

Despite its massive size?332.8 meters in length, 62.97 meters in height, 77.8 meters in width, and a flight deck area of 18,210 square meters, equivalent to three soccer fields?it operates at a maximum speed of 30 knots (56 km/h) powered by 260,000 horsepower.

Equipped with four catapults, it can launch 90 aircraft including FA-18 Super Hornet fighters and E-2D Hawkeye early warning aircraft. With a crew of approximately 5,000, the military power of a single USS Ronald Reagan is considered comparable to the defense capabilities of an entire small to medium-sized country.

The Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, starting with the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) commissioned in 2017, feature upgraded reactors with about 25% improved output and use electric motors. The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers were discontinued after the tenth ship, the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), commissioned in 2009.

On the 10th, the Ministry of National Defense announced that the Ronald Reagan and other ships of the 5th Carrier Strike Group are scheduled to enter Busan from the 12th to the 16th. The Ministry explained that this is to enhance the regular visibility of extended deterrence provided by the United States and also to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

This visit marks the first time in seven months that a U.S. aircraft carrier has visited Korea since the USS Nimitz in March, with the Ronald Reagan last visiting in September of last year. The Carrier Strike Group consists of the Ronald Reagan, the Aegis cruiser USS Antietam (CG-54), the USS Robert Smalls (CG-62), and the Aegis destroyer USS Spruance (DDG-86).