It is reported that five nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, which are a symbol of U.S. military power, will gather in the western Pacific near the Korean Peninsula around April or May. This is the first time in history that five of the 11 aircraft carriers (10 operational) owned by the United States are gathered in this region. This appears to be based on the observation that tensions in the area may increase around the Korean general election on April 10 and the Taiwan President’s inauguration ceremony on May 20.
On the 7th (local time), the U.S. Radio Free Asia (RFA) cited the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) and said, “As of the 5th, the U.S. aircraft carriers Ronald Reagan (Yokosuka, Japan), U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt (U.S. Guam), and the USS Carl Vinson (Japan) “Three ships, including Okinawa, were deployed to the western Pacific area near the Korean Peninsula.”
In addition, the Abraham Lincoln, a member of the U.S. 7th Fleet, which mainly serves the Korean Peninsula, departed from San Diego, California on the 5th and is heading to the Western Pacific. It is reported that the USS George Washington, currently in the Atlantic Ocean, will also move to this area to replace the USS Ronald Reagan in April or May.
According to RFA, this is the first time since the Gulf War in 1990-1991 that more than five U.S. aircraft carriers are gathered in one sea area at the same time. Regarding the simultaneous deployment of five US aircraft carriers, a US Navy spokesperson said, “Carrier movements are an operational security issue and we do not comment on future operations.”
Some analysts say that the concentration of U.S. aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific shows the U.S.’s will to deter China and North Korea. This is because there is a high possibility that they will carry out military provocations around the Korean general election and the inauguration of Taiwan’s president. Bruce Bennett, a senior researcher at the Rand Institute, a U.S. think tank, said, “If five aircraft carriers gather near the Korean Peninsula, North Korea will tremble in fear,” adding, “South Korea and the United States will respond appropriately to North Korea and China taking military action for political purposes.” “There is a need,” he said.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.