Pentagon confirms rare, three aircraft carrier drill November 11-14

Reuters
FILE PHOTO - Admiral Scott Swift, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, speaks at a news conference near the damaged USS John McCain and the USS America at Changi Naval Base in Singapore August 22, 2017. REUTERS/Calvin Wong/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Wednesday it would soon carry out the first exercise in a decade involving three aircraft carrier strike groups in the Western Pacific, confirming a Reuters report published on Monday. "It is a rare opportunity to train with two aircraft carriers together, and even rarer to be able to train with three," Admiral Scott Swift, U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, said in a statement, adding the drills would take place from Saturday to Tuesday. U.S. President Donald Trump will be traveling in Asia during the initial days of the drills. "Multiple carrier strike force operations are very complex, and this exercise in the Western Pacific is a strong testament to the U.S. Pacific Fleet's unique ability and ironclad commitment to the continued security and stability of the region," Swift said. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Peter Cooney)