US carriers begin drills in East Sea

Three U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carriers lead South Korean warships during combined drills in The East Sea, Sunday. From left in the front row are the USS Nimitz, USS Ronald Reagan and USS Theodore Roosevelt. The rare convergence of the three carrier strike groups for the joint exercises was made to show the allies’ overwhelming power and send a strong message to North Korea. The exercises will run through Tuesday. / Courtesy of Republic of Korea Navy

By Jun Ji-hye

The South Korean Navy and three U.S. aircraft carriers and their strike groups began joint exercises in the East Sea, Sunday, in yet another show of force against North Korea, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The rare drills involving the USS Ronald Reagan, USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt are designed to show the allies’ overwhelming military power to better deter the North’s nuclear and missile provocations, the JCS said.

The exercises, which will take place until Tuesday, are also aimed at strengthening the U.S. “extended deterrence” protection of South Korea against mounting threats from the North, it added.

Extended deterrence refers to Washington’s stated commitment to defend its ally by mobilizing all military capabilities ― nuclear and conventional ― to deal with the North’s aggression and provocations.

Military sources said one of the three carriers entered the operational area in the East Sea, called the Korea Theater of Operations (KTO), Saturday, while the others joined it Sunday after conducting drills with Japan.

The KTO is an area declared by a commander of the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command for military operations in the event of war. It could also involve open seas.

“The U.S. Navy mobilized three aircraft carriers and 11 Aegis destroyers, while the Republic of Korea Navy mobilized seven warships including two Aegis destroyers,” the JCS said in a release.

The JCS added that the rare maneuvers show the allies’ strong willingness to punish any kind of provocation by the North.

The carriers participating in the drill are Nimitz-class supercarriers with an overall length of about 330 meters and full-load displacement of over 100,000 long tons. Such a carrier is capable of carrying up to around 90 aircraft including F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters and E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft. In addition to aircraft, the vessels carry short-range defensive weaponry for anti-aircraft warfare and missile defense.

During his speech to the National Assembly last week, U.S. President Donald Trump noted that in addition to the three aircraft carriers, “we have nuclear submarines appropriately positioned.”

The U.S. 7th Fleet said the strike forces will conduct air defense drills, sea surveillance, replenishment at sea and defensive air combat training, and close-in coordinated maneuvers.

The exercises come after the defense chiefs of the two countries agreed in their annual defense talks last month to expand the rotational deployment of U.S. strategic military assets to the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding area to better cope with North Korean provocations.

According to the 7th Fleet, this is the first time that three carrier strike groups have operated together in the Western Pacific since exercises Valiant Shield in 2006 and 2007 off the coast of Guam.

U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander, Adm. Scott Swift, said earlier, “It is a rare opportunity to train with two aircraft carriers together, and even rarer to be able to train with three.”