Analysis How US show of strength in Asia risks revealing how far superpower’s military has become overstretched

As US President Donald Trump tours Asia, three US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier battle groups are exercising together in the Pacific. It is an awesome display of US military power and reach, a reminder of Washington’s unparalleled ability to project global force. At the same time, however, it is also a sign of how stretched those forces have become.

Getting three carriers to the Pacific has been an intrinsic part of Washington’s strategy to intimidate North Korea. But to do so required pulling forces from a host of other potential conflict areas, including the Gulf.

Three US aircraft carriers, accompanied by South Korean warships, launched a joint naval drill on Saturday in a fresh show of force aimed at North Korea. The four-day exercise in the western Pacific involves three flattops – USS Ronald Reagan, USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt – and seven South Korean vessels including three destroyers. It is the first such triple-carrier drill in the region for a decade.

Watch: US to stage massive naval drill as Trump tours Asia

“The exercise is aimed at enhancing deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and showing off preparedness to fend off any provocative acts by the North,” a South Korean defence ministry spokesman said.