US sends 3 aircraft carriers near Korean peninsula

Three US aircraft carriers are present in the Pacific Ocean amid recent tensions on the Korean peninsula.

US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. Photo: Military

The US Navy's USS Nimitz aircraft carrier entered the Pacific Ocean on October 25 after completing its mission in the Middle East, according to Yonhap.

The US Navy said the USS Nimitz and its escorts, including the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton, and the destroyers USS Howard, USS Shoup, USS Pinckney and USS Kidd, will be deployed to the 7th Fleet's area of ​​operations, which includes the Korean Peninsula.

"During the deployment to the 7th Fleet, the strike group is expected to conduct port visits and be available to support Fleet operations in the area of ​​responsibility before returning to home port," the US Navy said in a statement.

Previously, two other US aircraft carriers, the USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Theodore Roosevelt, were also sent to the region. The Theodore Roosevelt arrived in the western Pacific Ocean on October 23, while the Ronald Reagan has been in Japanese waters since mid-October.

South Korean media said that the US's simultaneous deployment of many strategic weapons to the region is seen as a show of force to deal with North Korea's provocations.

Tensions between the US and North Korea have been rising over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs and the heated rhetoric between the two sides. The North Korean issue is said to be one of the focuses of US President Donald Trump's November trip to Asia.

According to VNE