By Yi Whan-woo
U.S. strategic military assets, including a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and an attack submarine, will gather in South Korea this week, military officials here said Sunday.
This may increase tensions on the Korean Peninsula amid growing signs North Korea is preparing to conduct another missile test soon.
Some weapons will join the Seoul-Washington joint maritime drill scheduled from Monday to Friday while others will be featured at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX), an annual air show due Tuesday to Sunday.
The gathering of the cutting-edge U.S. weapons here will take place amid signs of North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) provocation possibly this week.
The South Korean military said a Navy carrier strike group led by the USS Ronald Reagan will enter South Korean waters, Monday, from Japan.
The USS Ronald Reagan, a Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered supercarrier, will carry 70 aircraft such as F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers and E-2 Hawkeyes.
The F/A-18 is a twin-engine, supersonic, multi-role fighter jet.
The EA-18G Growler is an electronic attack aircraft designed to provide tactical jamming and electronic protection for U.S. and allied forces.
The E-2 Hawkeye is an all-weather tactical airborne early warning aircraft.
During the joint drill, they will be joined by the South Korean Navy’s 7,600 ton Sejong the Great destroyer and 70 warships in the East Sea.
In the West Sea, the U.S. special operations forces are expected to board a submarine belonging to the USS Ronald Reagan-led strike group and participate in a simulated counterattack against North Korean soldiers.
Some American weapons have already been in South Korea in preparation for the drill.
They include the USS Michigan, an Ohio-class nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine that is capable of carrying Tomahawk missiles and can conduct a surgical strike on key North Korean military facilities. It made a port call at Busan, Friday.
During the ADEX at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, the F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jet will be put through its paces for the first time.
The fighter jet is anticipated to conduct a test flight in addition to that of the F-22 Raptor, also a stealth fighter jet.
On Sunday, the South Korean military sad it detected signs of Pyongyang’s possible provocations this week using ICBMs.
Citing U.S. satellite images, it said several vehicles that can be mounted with missiles were seen moving to different places across North Korea after leaving their hangars.
“We detected such movements in late September and we wouldn’t say they are immediate signs of an ICBM launch. But we continue to remain in a posture of thorough readiness,” a military officer said.
White House chief of staff John Kelly assessed that Pyongyang is “developing a pretty good nuclear re-entry vehicle”
U.S. President Donald Trump plans to make a promise on guaranteeing the nuclear umbrella for South Korea and Japan during his planned trip to Seoul next month, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.
If true, this means Trump is determined to follow the decades-long U.S. commitment of protecting its two Asian allies with nuclear weapons against their enemies, according to analysts.
His possible promise is also seen as a move to settle debates over whether Seoul and Tokyo should be allowed to develop their own nuclear weapons against North Korea’s evolving military threats.
Trump has remained murky about nuclear arms policy, and during the 2016 presidential campaign, he even hinted about the nuclear armament of South Korea and Japan.
Citing its sources in Washington, D.C., the Tokyo-based Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Trump plans to make a promise on nuclear umbrella as part of his speech on North Korea.
Trump, who is also scheduled to visit Japan, China and Southeast Asia in November, will make his first Asian trip since taking office in January.
Also, he is likely to underscore that he puts Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missiles first among the key tasks faced by his administration, according to the newspaper.
He is anticipated to put maximum pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime and let it abandon its nuclear ambitions while ensuring protection of South Korea and Japan.
“It appears Trump has decided to renew the U.S. commitment of the nuclear umbrella and not cause any confusion among U.S. allies,” said Shin In-kyun, president of the Korea Defense Network. “Trump appears to be fully aware of the risks of nuclear domino effects. And I bet Seoul can rely on his promise because it will be made officially, not on Twitter where he has stirred up controversy with unrefined thoughts.”
Shin said Trump’s speech will be a warning for South Korea’s conservative politicians. They have been calling for the country’s nuclear armament, and despite the U.S. Department of State’s denial, they have urged Washington to redeploy its strategic nuclear assets here.