Aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan moves to Korean Peninsula for training exercises as tensions grow between US and North Korea
Aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan is moving to the Korean Peninsula
It will meet with USS Carl Vinson strike group to conduct training exercises
Reagan left its homeport two days after North Korea’s ballistic missile launch
Navy has not released how long the two carriers will be in the region together
By ANN SCHMIDT
DAILYMAIL.COM
20 May 2017
The US Navy is moving a second aircraft carrier to the Korean Peninsula amid growing tensions in the region.
The USS Ronald Reagan is going to meet the strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson to conduct training exercises.
The Reagan left from its homeport, Yokosuka, Japan, on Tuesday, just two days after North Korea launched a ballistic missile 500 miles into the Sea of Japan Sunday.
The carrier had just finished maintenance and sea trials in its homeport before it set off for the Korean Peninsula, according to CNN.
When it arrives, the Reagan will do training exercises and ensure it can safely launch and recover aircraft.
‘Coming out of a long in-port maintenance period we have to ensure that Ronald Reagan and the remainder of the strike group are integrated properly as we move forward,’ said Rear Admiral Charles Williams according to CNN.
Navy officials did not say how long both carriers will be in the region together, but it is expected the Reagan will replace the Vinson when it finishes deployment.
The Reagan is a 1,092-foot Nimitz-class nuclear powered carrier and has a crew of 4,539. It has about 60 aircraft and was commissioned in 2003. The carrier cost about $8.5 billion.
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