US nuclear warship leads military drills designed to counter North Korean threat

Washington: The United States Navy has started two-day joint military drills with South Korea and Japan with its USS Nimitz nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. With this the US is taking a lead role in anti-submarine exercises designed to counter increasing North Korean missile threats. The tri-nation “anti-submarine warfare training” is being carried out near Seoul’s southern island of Jeju. The drills come following North Korea’s recent unveiling of a type of battlefield nuclear warhead that has sparked fears that the Kim Jong-Un lead country may conduct its first nuclear test since 2017. The ongoing maritime exercises between the three nations involved the nuclear-powered USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and naval destroyers from South Korea, the US and Japan, South Korea’s Defence Ministry said in a statement. The drills would also see a Japanese destroyer and South Korean fast combat support ships and also involve “search-and-rescue training.” The statement further said the training was organised to enhance the capacities of the three countries to respond to underwater security threats posed by North Korea’s advancing submarine-launched ballistic missiles and other assets, the statement said. Submarine-launched missiles by North Korea are serious security threats to the US and its allies as it’s harder to spot such launches in advance. “We will neutralise any form of provocation by responding overwhelmingly and decisively,” said Brigadier General Kim In-ho, the commander of the South Korean forces taking part in the drill. The ministry said the exercises would be led by Rear Admiral Christopher Sweeney, commander of the US’ 11th carrier strike group. Sweeney offered some details about the training, but declared that the US and South Korea are committed to “deterring aggression on the Korean Peninsula” and that their partnership has “never been stronger.” In March, the US and South Korea conducted their largest round of joint drills in five years that continued for 11 days and saw exercises on land, air, and sea, prompting a retaliatory weapon test from North Korea. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .