The US government announced that it is discussing with South Korea follow-up measures to the “Washington Declaration” adopted by the US and South Korea leaders. He also stressed that he had committed to strengthening the deployment of nuclear-capable platforms on and around the Korean Peninsula.
According to a report by Voice of America (VOA), Pentagon spokesman Martin Maynes said on the 4th (local time), “After the Washington Declaration, discussions are underway with the Korean government about the deployment of strategic assets, including the US strategic nuclear submarine (SSBN), to Korea.” ‘, he said, “The United States and South Korea have agreed to conduct a new TTX exercise and simulation.”
“The United States and South Korea have developed a new annual simulation between agencies and governments and a separate on-the-ground exercise (TTX) conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Strategic Command while improving planning and response capabilities for regional threats,” he said.
“These will augment similar activities already established in our bilateral engagements,” he added.
In particular, Spokesman Maynes emphasized, “The United States has committed to strengthening the deployment of American strategic assets on and around the Korean Peninsula, especially nuclear-capable platforms.”
“The U.S.-ROK Alliance is also expanding the scope and scale of joint exercises to address regional threats and maintaining regular high-level engagement and dialogue between defense authorities,” it added.
However, he was reserved about the timing of the deployment of US SSBNs in Korea, saying, “We will not disclose the specific future deployment of US strategic assets.”
When asked about the possibility that SSBNs could be loaded with nuclear weapons and deployed in South Korea, he mentioned remarks made at a regular briefing by Defense Ministry spokesman Patrick Ryder on the 2nd.
Earlier, a spokesperson for Ryder answered a related question at a briefing, saying that Ohio-class strategic nuclear submarines would be deployed, and that “we will not comment on specific payloads.”
The U.S. Navy currently operates 14 Ohio-class SSBNs, which are reportedly capable of carrying low-yield tactical nuclear warheads for submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).
The Ohio-class SSBN has 24 vertical launch tubes that can shoot SLBMs with a range of 12,000 km. It is evaluated that it can guarantee deterrence.
Earlier, on the 26th of last month, President Yoon Seok-yeol and US President Joe Biden adopted and announced the’Washington Declaration’, which was aimed at strengthening the US’s’extended deterrence’ pledge through a summit held at the White House.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.