US Aircraft Carrier Pressuring North Korea and China Faces Operational Suspension Due to COVID-19

Decision to Land Half of Roosevelt Crew
Positive COVID-19 Cases Also Found on Reagan

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Crew members of the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), which had raised serious concerns over the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), have begun to come ashore. As the normal operation of the nuclear carrier, a core asset of the US Navy, becomes difficult, the US's readiness posture against North Korea and China is inevitably affected.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

According to the Associated Press and others on the 1st (local time), Acting US Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said that about 1,000 crew members have come ashore from the Roosevelt, and an additional 2,700 are expected to come ashore within a few days. This means that even excluding essential operating personnel, half of the entire crew will leave the ship.

Acting Secretary Modly did not mention how long the Roosevelt would be out of its mission. However, the AP pointed out that if the crew members are quarantined for 14 days, the Roosevelt may be unable to carry out missions for several weeks.

The carrier recently visited Vietnam, after which 100 confirmed cases occurred, and it is known that the captain sent a letter to the command requesting the crew to come ashore.

The Roosevelt is currently docked in Guam, and the disembarked crew members will be housed in various facilities across Guam.

Due to the nature of the carrier, three-shift duty is essential, but if a large number of crew members come ashore and are quarantined, normal navigation and surveillance activities will inevitably be impacted.

The Roosevelt belongs to the US Navy's 3rd Fleet, which oversees the Eastern Pacific, but recently moved to the Western Pacific region to increase pressure on North Korea and China. CNN reported that there are also some COVID-19 positive cases on the USS Ronald Reagan, an aircraft carrier belonging to the 7th Fleet. If these two carriers are unable to conduct normal operations, significant adverse effects on the US's surveillance activities against North Korea and China are expected.