The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) of the United States Navy (US Navy) arrived in South Korea on March 2 as part of a scheduled visit within the operational area of the U.S. Seventh Fleet. The arrival of the capital ship at Busan port not only reaffirms the U.S. military commitment to regional partners like South Korea and Japan but also showcases the global power projection capabilities of the U.S. Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific, a key region for U.S. foreign policy.
It is worth noting that the arrival of Carrier Strike Group 1 (CSG-1) of the USS Carl Vinson marks its first visit to South Korea this year and since the inauguration of the new U.S. president, Donald Trump. The last time a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier visited the South Korean port was eight months ago, when the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) participated in the Freedom Edge Multidomain Exercise. As for the USS Carl Vinson, its last visit occurred in November 2023.
CSG-1 consists of the USS Carl Vinson, the embarked headquarters of CSG-1 and Destroyer Squadron One (DESRON 1), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59), and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett (DDG 104) and USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110). CVW-2 comprises nine squadrons, operating F-35C Lightning II stealth fighters, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye early warning aircraft, CMV-22 Ospreys, and MH-60R/S Seahawks.
Before this stop, CSG-1 had been deployed in the South China Sea three times, conducting exercises in December 2024 and January 2025. During its second deployment, the carrier strike group carried out Maritime Cooperative Activities (MCA) with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. More recently, the USS Carl Vinson and its escorts participated in Pacific Steller 2025, an exercise featuring the French Navy’s aircraft carrier strike group, led by the Charles de Gaulle, and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force, which deployed the helicopter carrier JS Kaga.
Furthermore, the arrival of CSG-1 in South Korea comes amid ongoing tensions with North Korea. Just a few days ago, Pyongyang conducted cruise missile tests to demonstrate its counterattack capabilities. In response, Rear Admiral Lee Nam-gyu, director of the Maritime Operations Center of the Republic of Korea Navy Fleet, stated:“Our military will respond firmly to any North Korean threat, and the alliance between South Korea and the United States will support peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region through close cooperation.”
Along the same lines, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), General Xavier Brunson, added:“This visit, especially when combined with realistic, joint, and combined training across all domains, enhances interoperability and ensures we build the readiness posture to deter aggression and maintain stability in the Republic of Korea and the region.”
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