Society

USS Nimitz to head for Western Pacific

Jun 02 (NHK) - The US military is dispatching the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the Western Pacific Ocean as a response to North Korea's repeated missile launches and the increased maritime activities by China.

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier left a naval base in the US state of Washington on Thursday along with 2 destroyers.

The Nimitz will head for the Western Pacific after joining other destroyers and cruisers and loading FA18 fighter aircraft off the coast of California.

Rear Admiral William Byrne, who commands the carrier strike group, notes that North Korea's biggest threat is its unpredictability.

He says the US wants to provide a presence on the Korean Peninsula and the waters around it as a deterrent force.

The US has already dispatched 2 aircraft carriers to the Sea of Japan, and has been conducting military drills there. But the USS Carl Vinson is expected to return to the United States later this month, and will be replaced by the Nimitz.

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