The nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier left its home port in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday for a long-term regional patrol, the U.S. Navy said.
The departure of the aircraft carrier, a symbol of U.S. military power in the region, comes as the United States and North Korea negotiate plans to hold the first-ever summit between the two countries in Singapore next month.
The Reagan engaged in a joint military drill last November with two other nuclear-powered flattops in the Sea of Japan, in a show of force amid Pyongyang's increasingly provocative nuclear and missile threats.
This time it will hold takeoff and landing exercises for carrier-based aircraft stationed at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, in the waters off Kyushu.
The Reagan had completed a weeklong trial voyage in mid-May after returning to its home port from a long trip in December and undergoing inspection and maintenance.
