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U.S. Navy

Three U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are operating off the coast of North Korea, the largest concentration of naval firepower in a decade. The carriers are conducting four days of drills in the Sea of Japan with their Japanese and South Korean counterparts, with at least one guest appearance by B-1 heavy bombers.

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Late last month, Popular Mechanics reported that three aircraft carriers: USS Nimitz, USS Ronald Reagan, and USS Theodore Roosevelt were in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. Based in Yokosuka, Japan, the 7th Fleet covers an enormous swath of the world's oceans, from the India-Pakistan border to just off Hawaii. Although thousands of miles apart, there was some speculation that the three carriers could rendezvous off Korean peninsula to send a warning to North Korean leader Kim Jong un. The U.S. Navy told Voice of America news that such an event was unlikely but that it was "flexible".

Well, it happened. On Saturday Nimitz, Ronald Reagan, and Roosevelt all met up in Sea of Japan, off the coast of North Korea for four days of drills. A total of twelve strike fighter squadrons are embarked on the three ships, including 10 squadrons of F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornets and 2 squadrons of F/A-18C Hornets. Each aircraft carrier is accompanied by other elements of its carrier strike group, including a cruiser, guided missile destroyers, and a nuclear attack submarine.

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Kyle Mizokami

Kyle Mizokami is a writer on defense and security issues and has been at Popular Mechanics since 2015. If it involves explosions or projectiles, he's generally in favor of it. Kyle’s articles have appeared at The Daily Beast, U.S. Naval Institute News, The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, Combat Aircraft Monthly, VICE News, and others. He lives in San Francisco.