US Navy Aircraft Carrier Ronald Reagan Leaves Japan After 9 Years

U.S. Navy’s only Aircraft Carrier, which is forward-deployed, the USS Ronald Reagan, will leave Japan after almost a decade.

The crew of the aircraft carrier worked in Yokosuka all this time to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Reagan is nuclear-powered and is part of the Nimitz Class. It is named in honour of the 40th President of the U.S.

It is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5 and was forward-deployed under the 7th Fleet, the U.S Navy’s biggest forward-deployed fleet.

Reagan was sent to Japan in 2015 and has since offered vital support to U.S. Allies.

It also assisted Japan in dealing with the 2011 tsunami that hit the Japanese coastline after the Tohoku earthquake.

In 2021, it left for a while to offer air support while the U.S. forces prepared to withdraw from Afghanistan.

This deployment symbolises American support for its partner nations and allies.

Reagan’s presence in the Indo-Pacific will deter Beijing from assertive behaviour and keep North Korea and Russia at bay.