A THIRD aircraft carrier has arrived near North Korea in a shocking move amid growing fears of war with Kim Jong-un.
USS Nimitz has joined USS Theodore Roosevelt – dubbed the “Big Stick” – and USS Ronald Reagan in the western Pacific. The 100,000-ton warship and its strike group joins the two carriers amid fears of war with North Korea.
Each vessel is accompanied with a cohort of destroyers and submarines, and USS Ronald Reagan has been carrying out war drills since last week. It is unprecdented to three aircraft carriers in the region at one time, and is a huge gathering of US sea power.North Korea will be furious with the move, believing US military drills in the region are rehearsals for war.The US Navy confirmed the arrival of USS Nimitz today as top officer Captain Carlos Sardiello promised the warships are “ready for anything”.
The massive carrier cost £3.5 billion ($4.5 billion) and is crewed by 7,500 sailors and marines.It has a wing over 90 warplanes and helicopters which can take off from its massive 1,000ft long deck.USS Nimitz arrival comes ahead of Donald Trump visit to the Korean Peninsula in early November. The US Navy have not confirmed the carrier's mission, but experts have described it has sending a "significant signal" to North Korea.
Big Stick's commanding officer Cpt Sardiello said: ”USS Theodore Roosevelt is prepared to carry out the full spectrum of possible missions, from humanitarian relief to combat operations."When a carrier leaves on deployment, we have to be ready for anything."The warship’s deployment comes amid a war of words between US President Donald Trump and Kim over the rogue state’s nuclear programme.Adam Mount, a defense analyst and senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists told CNN:
Two US aircraft carriers were off the Korean Peninsula back in June.USS Carl Vinson and the USS Ronald Reagan operating together as Trump promised to send an “armada” to North Korea.However, this was the first time it had happened since the 90s.