U.S Navy Aircraft Carrier Ronald Reagan Leaves Japan Home Port After 9 Years

U.S. Navy’s only Aircraft Carrier, USS Ronald Reagan, which was permanently stationed in Japan, will leave the country after having spent 9 years in the Pacific Region.

Capt. Daryle Cardone, Reagan’s commanding officer, stated that the aircraft carrier’s sailors had worked in Yokosuka all this time to maintain a free Indo-Pacific.

Reagan is nuclear-powered and belongs to the Nimitz Class. It is named in honour of the 40th President of the U.S.

It is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5 and was forward-deployed under the 7th Fleet, the American Navy’s biggest forward-deployed fleet. It operates to maintain an open and free Indo-Pacific as China tries to assert its dominance in the region.

Reagan was sent to Japan in 2015 and has since offered vital support to U.S. Allies. In addition to military cooperation, it also assisted Japan in dealing with the 2011 tsunami that hit its coastline after the Tohoku earthquake.

In 2021, it left for a while to offer air support while the U.S. forces prepared to withdraw from Afghanistan.

Rear Admiral Greg Newkirk, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5, said that their relations with Japan have always been strong, and they will continue to nurture and strengthen them in future, both at land and at sea.

This deployment symbolises American support for its partner nations and allies. The U.S. has used its naval vessels to project power and strength away from its soil to deter its enemies.

In the Indo-Pacific, Reagan’s presence will deter Beijing from assertive behaviour. The deployment symbolised the strong ties between the U.S. and its allies in the Pacific, such as Japan and South Korea. It will also keep North Korea and Russia at bay.

References: Business Insider, Yahoo News

U.S Navy Aircraft Carrier Ronald Reagan Leaves Japan Home Port After 9 Years appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News