By Xinhua,
Yokosuta, Japan : The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington arrived at the port of Yokosukain Kanagawa prefecture Thursday morning to replace the retired carrier USS Kitty Hawk.
The 332-meter, 97,000-ton USS George Washington, which carries a crew of more than 5,500 and 70 aircraft, is the first nuclear-powered carrier to be deployed to Japan.
Kitty Hawk was commissioned in 1961 and is the only remaining conventionally fueled aircraft carrier still in service in the U.S. Navy. It was deployed in Japan 10 years ago.
The George Washington and Kitty Hawk are approximately the same size and carry about the same craft and personnel. However, George Washington is installed with two nuclear reactors that will allow it to sail for almost 18 years at a time without refueling.
Even though Japanese media polls have shown the vast majority of Japanese welcomed the U.S. military presence to safeguard the security in the region, some residents in Yokosuka worried about possible nuclear accidents and staged protests ahead of the ship’sarrival.
About 500 protesters rallied near Yokosuka Naval Base, shouting slogans and waving banners on Tuesday. Some 200 people also staged a protest on Sunday. Earlier this month, two blasts hit a residential area near the U.S. naval base.
Yokosuka is the U.S. naval base just about 30 miles (45 kilometers) south of Tokyo.