A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the southeastern port city of Busan Wednesday for a weeklong South Korea-U.S. exercise set to begin here early next month, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said in a press release.
It is the first trip to South Korea by the USS Ohio since the former Trident-class vessel underwent a near two-year conversion until late 2005 to become a nuclear-powered, guided-missile, or SSGN-class submarine, enabling the ship to carry 154 conventional cruise missiles instead of 24 Trident missiles. The vessel was commissioned in November 1981.
The statement said the vessel "is taking part in a routine port visit in conjunction with the Key Resolve/Foal Eagle Exercise 2008," an annual joint drill of South Korean and U.S. forces.
The USS Nimitz, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, is also due in Busan with 5,000-crew members aboard later this month to take part in the joint exercise that will last for six days until March 7, according to USFK officials. (Yonhap)