Pentagon says U.S. carrier to exercise in Yellow Sea

[Guest guest]

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Pentagon says U.S. carrier to exercise in Yellow Sea

By Jon Rabiroff

Stars and Stripes

Published: August 6, 2010

CAMP RED CLOUD, South Korea — The USS Washington will participate in a

joint U.S.-South Korean military exercise in the Yellow Sea in the near future,

despite China's opposition to the aircraft carrier operating near its eastern

waters.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Thursday the Japan-based nuclear-powered

carrier will participate in the exercises but did not provide the dates.

Ships will exercise in the Yellow Sea and Sea of Japan, which Koreans call the

West Sea and East Sea, respectively.

Morrell said the training will take place " over the next several months " and

include anti-submarine, show-of-force and bombing exercises.

Last month, the Washington took part in the four-day Invincible Spirit

exercise that involved 20 ships and submarines, 200 aircraft and 8,000

servicemembers from the U.S. and South Korean militaries.

The exercise was carried out to send a message of strength and deterrence to

North Korea as a response to the rogue nation's alleged role in the March 26

sinking of the South Korean patrol ship Cheonan and the deaths of 46 South

Korean sailors in the Yellow Sea, near the disputed maritime border between the

two Koreas.

Invincible Spirit, which planners initially considered conducting in the Yellow

Sea, was staged instead in the Sea of Japan, a move seen by many as a U.S.

effort not to upset China, widely considered North Korea's most important ally.

U.S. officials, however, dismissed that it was treading softly with China and

stressed that the U.S. has in the past and will in the future stage exercises in

the international waters of the Yellow Sea, despite China's concerns.

During a visit to South Korea last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Gates

said, " These exercises are off the coast of Korea, not off the coast of China.

There's nothing provocative about them at all. "

On Thursday, South Korea started a five-day naval drill of its own in the Yellow

Sea. Later this month, the U.S. and South Korea will participate in the 10-day

Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise — one of two joint exercises conducted every

year.

Stars and Stripes reporter Jeff Schogol contributed to this report

[Guest guest]

"Show of force?" more like "Show our enemies how we will fight them." This is the kind of thing that should be held off Hawaii, Guam or some other location. Some of the Island chains out there have many airfields. They could simulate a continental coastline by drawing an imaginary coast, water depths, etc., on their maps and treating them as if they were real. The airfields are simply enemy bases which could be on the "coast" or well behind it. Now and then they could run operations closer to friendly coasts, Australia has lots of that, for complete realism. Shows of force like this might have some meaning diplomatically, if your opponent is much weaker, but if they think they can take you or are your equal or superior, it is only going to ramp up tensions.

If we did have to train with Japanese or Korean forces, it could be done in their waters and on a smaller scale for our part, and away from China or whoever else. They'll still know it is going on, we just won't be waving a fist under their nose.

In a message dated 8/6/2010 4:15:32 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

Morrell said the training will take place "over the next several months" and include anti-submarine, show-of-force and bombing exercises.Last month, the Washington took part in the four-day Invincible Spirit exercise that involved 20 ships and submarines, 200 aircraft and 8,000 servicemembers from the U.S. and South Korean militaries.