The U.S. Navy is sending Carrier Strike Group 11, based around the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, to join the Carl Vinson and Ronald Reagan strike groups in the Western Pacific on June 1, the Diplomat reported. It is extremely rare for three or more of the U.S. Navy's supercarrier groups to be deployed to the same region at the same time. The deployment is likely in response to heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula and an increased tempo of North Korean missile tests. The Carl Vinson carrier group is currently underway in the Sea of Japan, conducting military drills with Japan and South Korea. On May 30, the United States conducted a snap drill close to North Korean airspace, deploying B-1B Lancer strategic bombers with a South Korean fighter escort.