US Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Busan Today... Joint Exercises Conducted in Preparation for North Korean Military Provocations

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) will arrive at Busan on the morning of the 23rd. A joint South Korea-U.S. exercise is also planned in preparation for the possibility of North Korea's 7th nuclear test.

According to the military on that day, the Ronald Reagan will enter the Busan operational base along with the carrier strike group. The carrier strike group consists of the Ronald Reagan, the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), and the Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52), among others.

The 100,000-ton Ronald Reagan, commissioned in 2003, carries over 80 aircraft including F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters and E-2D airborne early warning aircraft, earning it the nickname "floating military base." The joint East Sea naval exercise will also include the nuclear-powered submarine USS Annapolis (SSN-760, 6,000 tons).

The South Korean and U.S. navies plan to conduct joint exercises to strengthen friendly cooperation between the two countries and to deter military provocations such as North Korea's 7th nuclear test. South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies anticipate that North Korea will continue provocations such as nuclear tests after the Party Foundation Day (October 10), the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (opening October 16), where President Xi Jinping secured a third term, and the U.S. midterm elections (November 8).

This is the first time in five years since October 2017, when the Ronald Reagan last entered the Busan operational base. Although there have been domestic port calls since then, they were not for training purposes.

The visit of the carrier strike group to South Korea can be seen as a follow-up to the agreement between the two heads of state in May this year to "deploy U.S. strategic assets in a timely and coordinated manner," and the agreement between the defense ministers of both countries in July to "strengthen the alliance's deterrence posture, including the deployment of U.S. strategic assets in the Korean Peninsula region."

South Korea and the U.S. have agreed to deploy various U.S. strategic assets promptly according to the level of North Korean threats and provocations in the future.