US Carrier Navigates Crowded Waters as North Korea Tensions Mount
In this handout provided by the U.S. Navy, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) is underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility in the Pacific Ocean March 12, 2011. Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Dylan McCord/U.S. Navy via Getty Images
As the commanders of the largest U.S. warship in Asia seek to maintain operational readiness amid protracted tensions over North Korea, they find themselves keeping one eye on China, too.
On Saturday, as F-18 Super Hornet jet fighters roared from the decks of the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier during routine drills deep in the South China Sea, two Chinese frigates maintained a constant line-of-sight vigil.
