A U.S. floating radar station has returned to its home port of Hawaii after carrying out a surveillance mission near the Korean Peninsula with its advanced sensors, a South Korean military official said Tuesday.
"The U.S. sea-based X-Band (SBX) radar was sent to an undisclosed location off the Korean Peninsula for a one-month deployment after departing Hawaii in late September. It sailed back to its home port in late October," the official told Yonhap news agency.
He didn't provide details about the mission and the vessel's route, citing the sensitivity of the matter.
The SBX radar is aimed at detecting and tracking long-range ballistic missiles and rockets over the high seas. The data collected can be used to assess the capabilities and performance of a missile and help defend against the threat down the line.
According to many military officials, the North's long-range intercontinental missiles could theoretically hit parts of the U.S. mainland.
The SBX which displaces some 50,000 tons has a 116 meter by 85 meter radar system installed on its deck and has the capability to detect missile fired off upwards to 2,000 kilometers away.
North Korea tested a new high-powered rocket engine in September, raising worries that it is stepping up efforts to develop a long-range ballistic missile. The rocket engine test came on the heels of its fifth nuclear test in the same month. (Yonhap)