In the face of the increased regional influence of China and Russia in the Indo-Pacific, the USA aims to strengthen naval cooperation with its military ally Japan.
The US Navy has announced that the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, moored at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, will return to the US in the spring of 2024.
Accordingly, the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, which was previously deployed in Japan, will return to Yokosuka in the second half of 2024.
USS George Washington served from 2008-2015. This was the first deployment of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to a Japanese port.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it has informed Yokosuka Mayor Kamiji Katsuaki about the reshuffle of the US aircraft carriers.
“The presence of the US Navy is important for the peace and regional stability of Japan”
Mayor Kamiji said in his statement that “the continued presence of the US Navy is important for Japan’s peace and regional stability.”
The city of Yokosuka is located in Kanagawa Prefecture, east of the capital Tokyo. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington is nuclear-powered.
US aircraft carriers in the region take part in joint exercises organized in cooperation with the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and the South Korean army.