The yearly drills include participation from units within the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy as well as their South Korean counterpart branches.
The joint American-South Korean Freedom Shield annual exercise, meant to reinforce the Seoul-Washington partnership by enhancing combat readiness and lethality, is well underway. The yearly drills include participation from units within the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy as well as their South Korean counterpart branches. Considering the ramp-up in hostile behavior by Pyongyang, maintaining a steadfast defense posture on the Korean Peninsula is critical for both American and South Korean interests. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un refers to American-South Korean collaboration as “war rehearsals” and has warned that U.S. “war reinforcements” would be “wiped out” following the appearance of American stealth fighters deployed to Northeast Asia.
In images published by the U.S. 7th Fleet, the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1 is depicted with various advanced aircraft on its deck. F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, F-35 Lightning IIs, and E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes appear to be getting ready on the carrier’s catapult, showcasing the extent of the Navy’s aerial prowess. The participation of these top platforms and the Nimitz-class USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier is meant to demonstrate America’s capability to project power overseas and work in coordination with its allies in the region.
Introducing USS Carl Vinson
As the third Nimitz-class carrier to commission in the Navy, USS Carl Vinson represents this second generation of nuclear-powered supercarriers fielded by the service. Initially designed to supplement the Navy’s older Kitty Hawk, Enterprise, and Forrestal aircraft carriers, the Nimitz ships have new technologies and capabilities that give them an edge over competitors. Two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors power the carriers, which enable these ships to sail at speeds up to 30 knots. However, the true top speed of the Nimitz ships remains classified. Perhaps the most significant attribute of the Carl Vinson and its sister ships is the addition of a steam catapult. The catapult allows the carrier to circumvent the need for a longer runway and releases steam in a burst of power which accelerates the attached aircraft down the flight deck during take-off. The Nimitz class’s ability to launch a vast range of some of the best platforms in service across the globe has made the carrier class truly legendary.
The American Aircraft Taking Part in Freedom Shield 2025
Perhaps the two most notable American aerial platforms taking part in Freedom Shield 2025 are the Super Hornet and Lightning II jets. The F/A-18 Super Hornet may be a fourth-generation fighter platform, but the notorious jet is still considered to match and in some cases exceed the capabilities of its successors. Specifically, the Super Hornet has a combat-proven record and can be utilized in a wider range of missions than newer-generation platforms. With advanced radar, the AMRAAM missile, and onboard sensor fusion functions, the Super Hornet deserves its top-tier reputation. When it comes to fifth-generation power, America’s F-35 Lightning II is often considered to be the most formidable of its kind. With a tiny radar cross-section and radar-absorbent materials, the Lightning II is nearly undetectable. Additionally, the F-35 features stunning sensors, avionics, and modular designs which allow for the seamless incorporation of new technologies.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter:@MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: DVIDS.