Plan B Forum

US deploys aircraft carrier to South Korea
By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer


Monday, July 19, 2010

(07-19) 10:13 PDT l d WASHINGTON, (AP) --

The U.S. is sending the massive aircraft carrier the USS George Washington to South Korea this week, the military announced Monday.

The deployment is considered a show of force in the wake of the sinking of a South Korean warship last March that killed 46 sailors. South Korea and an international team of investigators have blamed North Korea for the attack.

The carrier was expected to be in South Korea's port of Busan by Wednesday and could participate in an upcoming military exercise.

The nuclear powered carrier, one of the world's largest warships, will be accompanied by three destroyers — the McCampbell, the John S. McCain and the Lassen.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton were expected to announce more details this week about the upcoming joint military exercise. Gates and Clinton were visiting Seoul to meet with their South Korean counterparts.

The military exercise and deployment of the George Washington has been under discussion since shortly after the March attack on the South Korean navy vessel, the Cheonan.

The Cheonan's sinking was considered South Korea's worst military disaster since the Korean War , which ended in a cease-fire in 1953. No formal peace treaty was ever signed, and more than 28,000 U.S. troops remain stationed in the south with a vow to protect its critical ally.

The deployment of the aircraft carrier could be seen by North Korea as a particularly aggressive move by the United States because of the ship's sheer size. According to a Navy website, the George Washington is 244 feet high from keel to mast and can accommodate some 6,250 crew members.

The deployment of the aircraft carrier could be seen by North Korea as a particularly aggressive move by the United States because of the ship's sheer size. According to a Navy website, the George Washington is 244 feet high from keel to mast and can accommodate some 6,250 crew members

CSG or CVBG normally consist of 1 Aircraft Carrier, 2 Guided Missile Cruisers, 2 Anti Aircraft Warships,and 1-2 Anti Submarine Destroyers or Frigates.[1]



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_battle_group

Sue U wrote:The George Washington is not nuclear-armed. It has a Westinghouse nuclear propulsion system, which means only that it will virtually never need refueling.

It is big, however, and can carry a lot of aircraft and crew.

You know, I can think of a lot of presidents who should have been impeached, from LBJ on, for not deploying these to defeat the armed forces of the puny countries we were "at war" with;

A Nimitz Class Carrier Task Force Group brings an impressive array of weaponry to the party...

In addition to the fire power on the ships that accompany it, the carrier itself comes equipped with a full squadron of F-18's...

And a compliment of 5000 well trained heavily armed marines that can be landed any where, any time.

Biggest bully in the playground eh Jim?

Lord Jim wrote:

A Nimitz Class Carrier Task Force Group brings an impressive array of weaponry to the party...

In addition to the fire power on the ships that accompany it, the carrier itself comes equipped with a full squadron of F-18's...

And a compliment of 5000 well trained heavily armed marines that can be landed any where, any time.

Oh, and I believe I forgot to mention the cruise missiles...

loCAtek wrote:The official term is 'Forward Presence' ...and we do it all the time.

The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the United States Navy battle fleet that completed a circumnavigation of the globe from 16 December 1907 to 22 February 1909 by order of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into four squadrons, along with various escorts. Roosevelt sought to demonstrate growing American military power and blue-water navy capability.

Aug. 6 - Oct. 4, 1946 - USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB 42) deploys to the Mediterranean Sea. The carrier makes a port visit at Athens, reemphasizing U.S. support of the pro-Western Greek government, involved in a civil war against Communist insurgents. This was the earliest example of forward presence.

Lord Jim wrote:A Nimitz Class Carrier Task Force Group brings an impressive array of weaponry to the party...

In addition to the fire power on the ships that accompany it, the carrier itself comes equipped with a full squadron of F-18's...

And a compliment of 5000 well trained heavily armed marines that can be landed any where, any time.

dales wrote: