From the front, the US Navy amphibious assault ship ‘America’, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter-mounted large frigate ‘Hyuhyo’, and ‘US Navy amphibious assault ship ‘Essex’ (U.S. Navy 7th Fleet Twitter) © News 1Three nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and two amphibious assault ships operated by the U.S. Navy have gathered in the Western Pacific since last week, drawing attention to the background.
It is being evaluated that the move is ‘military pressure’ considering the conflict with China over the Taiwan issue and North Korea, which has raised tensions in the region with successive ballistic missile launches since the beginning of the year.
The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet Command posted on Twitter on the 23rd that the ‘Carl Vinson’ and ‘Abraham Lincoln’ carriers and the amphibious assault ship ‘America’ and ‘Essex’ were linked with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s helicopter-mounted large frigate (helicopter carrier) ‘Hyuuga’ and They shared a picture of them doing joint exercise in the Philippine Sea.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s helicopter-mounted large frigate ‘Hyuhyo’ (front) (U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet Twitter) © News 1Both the ‘Vinson’ and ‘Lincoln’ carriers that participated in this exercise belong to the US Navy’s 3rd Fleet Command, which is based in San Diego, California.
Although the 3rd Fleet Command operates in the eastern Pacific region, recently, it has been frequently performing missions even in the western Pacific region, which is under the jurisdiction of the 7th Fleet Command.
Prior to this, the ‘Vinson’ Carrier Group (CSG) conducted joint training with the Amphibious Preparation Group (ARG) led by ‘Essex’ in the South China Sea on the 16th, and the Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG), which is leading ‘America’, conducted a joint exercise on the 14th. They departed from the U.S. Naval Base in Sasebo and joined them.
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s helicopter-mounted large frigate ‘Hyuhyo’ (front) (U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet Twitter) © News 1In addition, the ‘Lincoln’ carrier group left the San Diego Naval Base on the 10th (local time) ahead of this and headed for the Western Pacific.
Experts are citing the intensifying conflict between the US and China over Taiwan-related issues as one of the factors that have contributed to the expansion of the 3rd Fleet’s operational radius.
In the midst of this, the US Navy carriers currently deployed in the western Pacific region following the introduction of the ‘Vinson’ and ‘Lincoln’ carriers, including the 7th Fleet’s ‘Ronald Reagan’, who are currently staying at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan for hull maintenance and repair, are all included. increased to three.
A military source said, “It is common for two groups to operate in this area, the ‘Reagan’, which is stationed in Japan, and the other Nimitz-class carrier, which is on a long-distance mission.” It must be an unusual move for two carrier-class amphibious assault ships to gather in the air,” he said.
In November 2017, when military tensions on the Korean Peninsula peaked due to North Korea’s successive intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches, the military temporarily deployed the “Nimitz” and “Theodore Roosevelt” carrier groups along with Reagan to the waters off the Korean Peninsula. Joint training has been conducted.
The US military also sent the ‘Nimitz’ and ‘Roosevelt’ back to the western Pacific in June 2020, when North Korea blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, to perform missions such as training with the ‘Reagan’.
In the midst of this, the U.S. 7th Fleet Command said that during this exercise, which mobilized aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, “it reaffirmed the promise of a free and open Indo-Pacific.” This means that the main purpose of the training was to ‘check in China’.
However, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces were also involved in this exercise, and in particular, during a video conference between US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the 21st, both sides “denounce North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launch in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.” It is analyzed that there is also the character of an ‘armed demonstration’ aimed at North Korea in that they clearly stated their position.
North Korea fired six ballistic missiles four times in total from the 5th to the 17th of this month. North Korea’s launch of ballistic missiles and all aircraft using its technology is a violation of Security Council resolutions.
In the midst of this, North Korea is drawing attention as it announced its intention to review whether to resume nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launches, which had been suspended, at the Politburo meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea held on the 19th, presided over by General Secretary Kim Jong-un.
A US Navy F-35B ‘Lightning 2’ stealth fighter takes off from the ‘Karl Vinson’ and ‘Abraham Lincoln’ carriers. (U.S. Navy 7th Fleet Twitter) © News1According to the US Naval Research Institute (USNI) news, there are currently 26 F-35B/C ‘Lightning 2’ stealth fighters, including 10 each on the ‘Vinson’ and ‘Lincoln’ ships and 6 on the ‘America’ ship.
In a commemorative speech at the ‘Self-Defence-2021’ at the Defense Development Exhibition last October, North Korea’s General Secretary Kim said, “From the military tensions around the Korean peninsula now, the military risk created in front of our country (North Korea) is 10 years, 5 years ago, no 3 It’s different from a year ago.”
(Seoul = News 1)
