US Navy to run rare 3-carrier military exercise in Pacific
Rep. Kinzinger reacts to the U.S. show of force amid the crisis in North Korea.
South Korean naval vessels will join the U.S. in a rare military drill that will feature three U.S. aircraft carriers in the western Pacific later this week.
The USS Ronald Reagan, based in Japan; the USS Theodore Roosevelt, based in San Diego; and the USS Nimitz, based at Naval Base Kitsap at Bremerton, Washington, are all participating in the exercise from Saturday through next Tuesday.
Seven South Korean Naval vessels will partake in the joint drill. The countries will practice air operations, air artillery strikes and aircraft carrier escorts, Reuters reported.
South Korea’s military announced its participation on Friday. The drill is an effort to show North Korea the country’s military strength and capability to respond as the nuclear threat continues to loom in Pyongyang, reported the news outlet.
Units assigned to the strike force will conduct coordinated operations in international waters to demonstrate the U.S. Navy’s unique capability to operate multiple carrier strike groups as a coordinated strike force effort.
The three aircraft carriers are expected to link up in the Sea of Japan later this week off the Korean Peninsula, a U.S. defense official tells Fox News.
Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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