The U.S. Navy will replace its sole forward-deployed aircraft carrier — the Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture-based USS Ronald Reagan — with the USS George Washington in 2024, it announced Friday.
The Ronald Reagan is known for playing a key role in Operation Tomodachi, the U.S. military’s response to the March 11, 2011, earthquake and ensuing nuclear crisis in the Tohoku region.
The George Washington, which was deployed to Yokosuka from 2008-2015 until it was replaced by the Ronald Reagan, will be returning after a complex overhaul in the U.S. The multiyear overhaul is performed only once during a carrier’s 50-year service life and includes the refueling of the ship’s two nuclear reactors, as well as significant repairs, upgrades, and modernization.
The overhaul is also expected to see the George Washington modified to carry the Boeing MQ-25A Stingray, a 15.5-meter drone that can refuel aircraft midflight, extending the range of the carrier’s aircraft. The drone is set to be “the world’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft,” according to U.S. Naval Air Systems Command.
It can fly roughly 500 nautical miles (950 kilometers) and deliver 16,000 pounds of fuel to aircraft such as F-18 and F-35C fighters, as well as EA-18G electronic surveillance jets, according to the Pentagon.
The George Washington and its new capabilities, including the MQ-25A, are expected to play a crucial role in countering China’s so-called anti-access/area denial strategy, which aims to deny an adversary’s freedom of movement. The strategy is seen as central in any attempt by China to invade self-ruled Taiwan, and would see Beijing employ a variety of powerful missiles — including its DF-21 “carrier killer” — to prevent U.S. and allied forces from entering nearby waters.
However, with the MQ-25A, the George Washington will aim to overcome this challenge by sending its aircraft to target areas from points farther away, outside the range of these weapons.
Eventually, the U.S. Navy plans for all of its Nimitz- and its newer Ford-class carriers to be equipped with MQ-25s.
The George Washington was the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be forward-deployed to Japan. Prior to the George Washington’s return next year, the Ronald Reagan will depart Yokosuka and relocate to Bremerton, Washington, for scheduled maintenance after completing nearly a decade of service in the Western Pacific, according to the U.S. Navy.
Aircraft carriers are seen as key to U.S. military power projection, especially in the Indo-Pacific region. Nimitz-class carriers such as the Ronald Reagan and George Washington have crews of more than 5,000 and can carry more than 60 aircraft.
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