This week, the USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group were sent to the waters between South Korea and Japan. The move was a display of American naval firepower amid growing tensions brought on by North Korea’s frequent missile tests. The USS Abraham Lincoln is a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and will stay in the region for several days. The carrier’s stay will overlap with a major North Korean holiday, the 110th anniversary of the birth of country founder Kim II Sung. This marks the first time a US carrier group has been deployed to the region since 2017, when Washington and Pyongyang traded war threats.
With the upcoming holiday, it is likely that North Korea will show its power through a large-scale military parade. Satellite imagery of training grounds indicates that this parade may occur, and might consists of nuclear or missile tests as part of the celebrations. The USS Abraham Lincoln’s deployment could prove counterproductive, given how tensions are already rising between the two nations. Seoul’s military declined to comment on the move and the US Forces in Korea stated that it will not discuss future military missions or operations.
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