Asia (bbabo.net), - The US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, leading the carrier strike group, will arrive in South Korea by the end of this week to take part in joint exercises in waters off the Korean Peninsula for the first time in five years. This was reported today, September 19, in the Navy of the Republic of Korea.
The aircraft carrier will arrive at the naval base in the South Korean city of Busan on September 23.
"Both navies plan to strengthen combat readiness and demonstrate strong allied support for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through the exercise," the military department said in a press release.
According to the Yonhap agency, the aircraft carrier's "retinue" includes the missile cruiser Chancellorsville and the destroyer Barry, equipped with Aegis systems. The last time the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan participated in joint maneuvers near the South Korean waters in November 2017 against the backdrop of the North Korean nuclear exercises held in September of that year.
The authorities of the United States and the Republic of Korea have been saying for several months that Pyongyang is preparing for another nuclear test. On September 8, the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK adopted a new law on nuclear forces, which fixed the possibility of a preemptive strike. Speaking in parliament, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that the People's Republic cannot give up nuclear weapons because of the constant threat from the United States, and the new law makes negotiations on denuclearization impossible.
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