Apr 13 (UPI) - The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its naval strike group is currently operating in the Sea of Japan for the first time in five years, the Navy said on Tuesday.
Officials said that the group is in the Sea of Japan off the Korean coast as part of bilateral operations. It comes at a time of increased concern about North Korean missile tests and possible nuclear tests.
The U.S. Naval Institute's satellite tracking also shows the nuclear-powered carrier's location.
Last week, U.S. officials warned that North Korea could conduct a nuclear weapons test around the anniversary of founder Kim Il Sung's birthday on Friday. A U.S. representative said then that the anniversary is concerning in that Pyongyang "may be tempted to take another provocative action."
The carrier strike group is conducting joint operations with Japan's navy.