US Military in Japan Steps Up Activities for ActionUS military forces in Japan stepped up activities on Monday for possible retaliation actions for the devastating terrorist attacks on New York and Washington last Tuesday, Japan's Kyodo news service reported.The guided-missile destroyer Curtis Wilbur left the Yokosuka naval base early in the morning in Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, followed by the 9,407-ton Navy missile cruiser Vincennes, which departed from the Yokosuka base, it reported. U.S. Navy officials declined to disclose the warships' destination, it said. The 6,082-ton U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered submarine Bremerton will be anchored at Yokosuka in the afternoon and is believed to be preparing for a joint action with the 8,422-ton Curtis Wilbur and the Vincennes, according to the report. The U.S. guided-missile cruiser Cowpens also left Yokosuka last Saturday, becoming the first U.S. naval vessel to leave the base since the terrorist attacks. The Curtis Wilbur, Vincennes and Cowpens are able to carry Tomahawk cruise missiles as well as antiaircraft and antisubmarine missiles. At the U.S. Navy's Atsugi base, also in Kanagawa Prefecture, planes from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk at the Yokosuka base carried out drills until late at night over last weekend, Kyodo said. |
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