TOKYO -- The U.S. Navy has begun preparations to replace the Japan-based USS Ronald Reagan, its sole forward-deployed aircraft carrier, by 2025. The USS George Washington, which the Reagan replaced in 2015, is expected to return to Yokosuka with new unmanned refueling capabilities that will better prepare the military against a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
"Preparations are taking place to replace the forward-deployed carrier," Lt. Brian Cunningham, a spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, told Nikkei Asia. "As of right now, we cannot release details of the movement until proper coordination is complete."
