SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Three U.S. aircraft carriers will enter waters off the Korean Peninsula one by one over the weekend to conduct joint maritime exercises with the South Korean Navy, Yonhap news agency reported on Friday citing Seoul's military.
An unnamed official with the South Korean military was quoted as saying three U.S. aircraft carriers will stage joint drills with the South Korean military from Saturday to Tuesday in the Korea theater of operations (KTO) off the country's east coast.
Yonhap said the three aircraft carriers will enter the KTO one by one as the strike groups sail with a certain distance from each other.
The KTO is a theater for military operations near the Korean Peninsula, which is designated by the commander of combined forces of South Korea and the United States.
The U.S. 7th Fleet which is part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said on its website Thursday that the USS Ronald Reagan, USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt will commence a three-carrier exercise in international waters in the Western Pacific for four days from Saturday.
The strike groups planned to conduct air defense drills, sea surveillance, replenishments at sea, defensive air combat training, close-in coordinated maneuvers and other training, according to the Pacific Fleet.
From the South Korean side, two Aegis-equipped destroyers, one destroyer and four frigates will be mobilized for the joint exercises with the U.S. carriers, according to Yonhap.
