USS Ronald Reagan to arrive in Korea to participate in joint drill
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U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan is to arrive at the southeastern port city of Busan Thursday (March 22) to take part in joint training by Korean and U.S. military forces, U.S. military officials said Wednesday.
The USS Ronald Reagan, powered by two nuclear reactors, carries 5,500 sailors and over 80 aircraft, according to the military officials.
The week-long drill, dubbed RSOI (Reception, Staging, Onward movement and Integration exercise), tests the combined ability of Korean and U.S. forces to receive and integrate forces from bases outside the country, in case of conflict on the peninsula.
The exercise is one of several joint military maneuvers the allies have been conducting annually since the 1970s.
This year's exercise that starts on Sunday is expected to involve more than 29,000 American soldiers, including 6,000 from outside the Korean Peninsula, according to the officials.
North Korea views the training as a "rehearsal" for an attack against the communist nation, despite repeated claims by the U.S. and Republic of Korea that it is a defense-oriented exercise.
Currently, about 29,500 U.S. troops are stationed in Republic of Korea, and the number is slated to be cut to 25,000 by the end of next year.The source of news : Korea.net March 22, 2007
