SAN DIEGO -- About 5,000 sailors aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan deployed to the western Pacific Saturday, along with its air wing and strike group.

The Reagan is being deployed while the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk undergoes scheduled maintenance in Yokosuka, Japan, according to a public affairs officer with Commander Naval Air Forces.

The guided-missile cruiser Lake Champlain and the guided-missile destroyer Russell will also depart from San Diego this weekend.

The Reagan returned to San Diego in July from its maiden six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf and western Pacific, where its crew conducted security and military operations related to the war on terrorism.

"We've maintained a high operational tempo since we returned from deployment, and our ability to surge now is a testament to the hard work of this crew in keeping the ship battle ready," Capt. Terry B. Kraft, the Reagan's commanding officer, said in a statement.

The Reagan, the Navy's ninth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, arrived at its homeport in San Diego in 2004.