The USS Ronald Reagan, USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Nimitz, three navy aircraft carriers began a four-day military exercises in the Western Pacific on November 11. This has been the first such show of strength in a decade and the drills are expected to end on Tuesday. The last time a three-carrier strike force operated in the waters of the West Pacific Ocean was in 2006 and 2007, during the Valiant Shield exercise.
“Multiple carrier strike force operations are very complex, and this exercise in the Western Pacific is a strong testament to the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s unique ability and ironclad commitment to the continued security and stability of the region,” Admiral Scott Swift, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said of the exercise.
According to a South Korean official, the drills were carried out on both sides of the waters between the Korean coast and that of Japan. South Korean ships were included in the drills near the Korean Peninsula, while Japanese ships took part in the exercises near closet to the coast of Japan.
The carrier operations in the Pacific are intended to demonstrate to North Korea that the United States would not allow it to intimidate them with nuclear tests and threats of ballistic missiles. During his visit to South Korea last week, President Donald Trump referred to the drill, even though he pointed out that he hoped the U.S. will never have to use the ships it has near the peninsula.
“We sent three of the largest aircraft carriers in the world (to the Korean Peninsula) and a nuclear submarine is also positioned,” he said.
Pyongyang yet again described the presence of the carriers as a threat on Washington’s part. The state-run KCNA maintained the U.S. was trying “to maintain military hegemony in the region.” The news agency also referred to the deployment of Air Force F-35 fighters to Okinawa, which North Korea sees as part of the United States’ preparations for war.
“Nobody knows when and how the ‘war maniac’ Trump will ignite the ‘wick of war,” said North Korean officials, according to CNN.
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