The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (pictured) is part of the Korea-U.S. joint naval drill ‘Invincible Spirit 2016,’ currently underway in both the East and Yellow seas from Oct. 10 to 15.
Korea and the U.S. kicked off their joint naval drill “Invincible Spirit 2016” on Oct. 10 in both the East and Yellow seas, and the drills will continue until Oct. 15. The U.S. Navy sent the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, to take part in the drills.
In addition to the USS Ronald Reagan, the allied navies mobilized dozens of warships, aircraft carriers, submarines and helicopters to take part in the exercise. These include 40 Korean naval vessels, including the Aegis-equipped destroyer ROKS Sejong the Great (DDG-991), seven U.S. navy ships, including Aegis-equipped CG cruisers, allied P-3 and P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, FA-18C Hornet fighter jets and U.S. Army Apache helicopters.
The USS Ronald Reagan is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier in the service of the U.S. Navy. It’s about 333 meters long and has a displacement of around 120,000 tons. It can carry more than 80 aircraft on the deck, with an area of 1,800 square meters, about the size of three football fields.
In both the East and Yellow seas, the allies will jointly conduct maritime counter special operations force (MCSOF) drills to practice striking any North Korean special warfare units that may attempt to infiltrate over the demarcation lines at sea. In waters off the southwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula, the aircraft carrier strike group will carry out anti-submarine, anti-aircraft and precision-guided striking operations.
The “Invincible Spirit 2016” drill is aimed at strengthening the allied forces’ commitment to counter provocations by the North and to improve maritime interoperability.
By Wi Tack-whan, Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writers
Photos: Ministry of National Defense
whan23@korea.kr
