A US nuclear aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea on Saturday for a trilateral exercise with the host nation and Japan, AP News reported.
The arrival of the aircraft carrier strike group Theodore Roosevelt in Busan came to activate military preparations to counter North Korean threats after Kim Jong Un pledged full support for Russia. The agreement commits to mutual defensive assistance in the event of war, as Seoul says the deal poses a threat to its security.
The aircraft carrier’s arrival demonstrates the allies’ strong defensive posture and readiness to respond to looming North Korean threats, South Korea’s navy said. Washington, Seoul and Tokyo have expanded their joint training and increased the visibility of US strategic military assets in the region in a bid to intimidate Pyongyang.
The Roosevelt Strike Group will take part in the exercises, which are expected to begin in June. South Korea’s military did not immediately confirm specific details of the exercise. Rear Adm. Christopher Alexander, commander of the Ninth Carrier Strike Group, said the exercises aimed to sharpen the ships’ tactical skills and improve interoperability between the countries’ navies.
The Strike Group previously also engaged in trilateral drills with the navies of South Korea and Japan in the disputed East China Sea amid growing concerns over China’s territorial claims. The aircraft carrier’s visit comes seven months after another US aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, arrived in South Korea to demonstrate its strength against North Korea.
Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement that once the exercise is over, the Roosevelt strike group will head to the Middle East to ensure regional stability and protect free trade in the region.
