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| USS Ronald Reagan |
The US Nimitz-class supercarrier USS Ronald Reagan will move to the Yokosuka base in Japan next month, according to the website of China's state-run China News Service.
The carrier will serve as a symbol of the strengthening of relations between the US armed forces and the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF). The USS George Washington, also a Nimitz-class carrier, was previously stationed at the base but returned to the US in May for mid-life refueling and overhaul, according to the report.
Since the announcement that the USS Ronald Reagan would be permanently stationed at the Japanese base, Japanese anti-nuclear and anti-war activists have gathered to protest around the Yokosuka base, the report stated.
The USS Ronald Reagan entered service in 2003 and is considered more advanced than the USS George Washington due to upgrades to its stealth capabilities, propulsion systems, electrical systems and carrier-based aircraft. If the carrier-based variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, the F-35C, is used on the carrier in the future, the carrier's capabilities will be greatly improved.
Read the full story at Want China Times