By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington is expected to make a port call in South Korea in October when an international fleet review is to be held in the southeastern port city of Busan, a report said Sunday.
Quoting an unidentified military source in Washington, D.C., Yonhap News Agency said the aircraft carrier will be based in Japan from August.
More than 40 warships from about 24 nations are expected to participate in the international fleet review marking the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the South Korean armed forces, said the source. South Korea hosted its first international fleet review in 1998.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is sailing to her homeport at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, to replace the only remaining conventionally propelled carrier, USS Kitty Hawk. One of the main missions of the USS George Washington is to lead wartime operations on the Korean Peninsula in the event of an emergency.
The George Washington is 1,092 feet long, 257 feet wide, and is as high as a 24-story building, at 244 feet. The super carrier can accommodate approximately 80 aircraft and has a flight deck 4.5 acres in size. With a combat load, the carrier displaces almost 97,000 tons and has 6,250 crewmembers.
The ship is now under repair in San Diego following a fire aboard it last month. The fire broke out on May 22 while the vessel was traveling in the Pacific Ocean off South America, and damaged some of the ship's 3,800 compartments.