Overview

• The command ship left Busan on Sept. 30 after a Sept. 25–30 port call—its first since 2020—that coincided with the ROK Navy fleet review and the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary Navy Ball.
• Capt. Louis Catalina said the South Korea–U.S. alliance “has never been stronger” and described the visit as proof of an “ironclad” commitment.
• The Blue Ridge recently took part in the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise off Jeju from Sept. 15–19, conducted without a U.S. aircraft carrier.
• Catalina declined to specify whether the drill was aimed primarily at North Korea or broader regional threats, emphasizing shared deterrence goals.
• Commissioned in 1970 and based in Yokosuka, the Navy’s oldest operational and deployable ship requires significant upkeep, and Catalina underscored the importance of readiness for deterrence.