Carrier group heads to Sea of Japan amid N. Korea tensions
The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson strike group is heading to the Sea of Japan amid heightened tensions between the U. S. and North Korea and following multiple missile tests conducted by the regime this year.
The strike group, comprised of the aircraft carrier and three other ships, had just completed a port visit to Singapore before receiving orders to head into waters east of the Korean peninsula.
The Navy said the strike group”will operate in the Western Pacific rather than executing previously planned port visits to Australia.”
ABC News takes a closer look at the strike group and its deployment.
Tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula as North Korea has conducted four missile launches this year. U. S. officials have said it appears another North Korean underground nuclear test could occur at any time.
And U. S. officials have speculated the timing of a nuclear test or additional missile tests could be tied to the upcoming April 15 birthday of Kim il Sung, North Korea’s founder.
Deploying the strike group is a show of American military force during a critical time in North Korea’s missile and nuclear development.
If North Korea conducts another missile test, the strike group’s location in the Sea of Japan means it could be in the missile’s flight path.
In early March, North Korea launched five medium-range Scud missiles, four of which traveled more than 600 miles, the upper limit of their range, before plunging into the Sea of Japan.
