USS George Washington Shows Off New Stealth Tech in Jaw-Dropping Military Exercise with Allies

On Thursday afternoon, a dark gray F-35C stealth fighter appeared on the deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington. The fighter was participating in the second Freedom Edge exercise, a multidomain drill involving South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

The U.S. Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73), deployed in the Freedom Edge 2 exercise, displayed its formidable presence.

On Thursday, the three countries invited South Korean, American, and Japanese reporters to the USS George Washington in international waters south of Jeju, where they showcased the fifth-generation F-35C fighter jet’s landing drills.

South Korea, the United States, and Japan are conducting the Freedom Edge exercise from November 13 to 15. On Thursday, they invited reporters from the three nations aboard USS George Washington to observe the F-35C fifth-generation fighter in training.

Within a brief 10-minute window, USS George Washington launched two F/A-18 fighters and rapidly landed two F/A-18s and one F-35C, demonstrating its quick and powerful power projection capabilities.

The U.S. showcased formations of the F-35C and F/A-18 and several F-35Cs in the hangar to the media, highlighting the enhanced power of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier’s strategic assets equipped with stealth fighters.

Commissioned in 1992, the USS George Washington, a supercarrier, has a displacement of 104,200 tons, a length of 332 meters, a width of 78 meters, and a top speed of 30 knots (56 km/h). Its flight deck, where aircraft take off and land, is the size of three football fields (18,210 square meters). USS George Washington returned to service, replacing the USS Ronald Reagan after nine years. It underwent nuclear fuel replacement, repairs, and equipment upgrades at Newport News in Virginia, starting in 2017, after returning from Japan to the U.S. in 2015.

USS George Washington has been significantly upgraded, replacing some of its aircraft with stealth fighters, giving it an even more potent nuclear punch. Part of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet has already been replaced with F-35C Lightning II fifth-generation stealth fighters. The EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft has been equipped with new equipment, delivering electronic warfare capabilities that are more than three times stronger than those of previous systems.

The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial refueling tanker, which will significantly extend these aircraft’s operational range, is also on board.

Shin In Kyun, a representative of the Korea Defense Network, said, “If China’s aircraft carriers integrate stealth fighters, electronic warfare aircraft, and early warning aircraft, it would be difficult to counter with only the USS Ronald Reagan. That’s why the enhanced USS George Washington has returned to the Seventh Fleet.”

Rear Admiral Heo Seong Jae, Commander of the South Korean Navy’s Seventh Task Force, said, “This exercise reflects our commitment to deter and respond to threats that undermine peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region, including North Korea’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches.”

Brigadier General Gregory Newkirk, Commander of the U.S. Fifth Carrier Strike Group, noted that this year’s second Freedom Edge exercise involves more forces and conducts more complex training across a broader range of domains than previous iterations.

Freedom Edge aims to enhance interoperability among the three nations and reaffirm their commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Korean Peninsula.

Participating in the exercise from South Korea are the ROKS Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong (DDG), the ROKS Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin (DDH), the P-3 maritime patrol aircraft, and F-35A and F-15K fighter jets. The U.S. is represented by the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN), the destroyers USS Higgins (DDG) and USS McCampbell (DDG), carrier-based aircraft, the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, and F-35A fighters. Japan has deployed the JS Haguro (DDG), P-3 maritime patrol aircraft, and F-15J and F-2 fighter jets.