The Pentagon has officially confirmed that it will send an Ohio-class submarine to South Korea capable of carrying 20 Trident II ballistic missiles with eight nuclear warheads and a launch range of up to 12,000 km

Last week, Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the US, where he signed the "Washington Declaration". The document aims to deter the DPRK, which is preparing to conduct its first nuclear test in years. A key component of deterrence will be the US Navy's nuclear submarines.

Here's What We Know

At the press conference, neither Yoon Seok-yeol nor Joe Biden revealed all the cards regarding the dispatch of nuclear submarines to the Republic of Korea. Information later emerged that they were talking about Ohio-class submarines. This information was confirmed a week after the signing of the "Washington Declaration" by the US Department of Defense.

General Pat Ryder declined to specify which submarines would be sent to the Republic of Korea. However, he said, these would definitely be Ohio-class submarines that can carry Trident II (D5) intercontinental ballistic missiles - SSBN strategic cruisers.

At the same time, Pat Ryder did not disclose the timing of the dispatch of the submarines or the likelihood of equipping them with nuclear weapons. Any of the 14 Ohio SSBNs can carry up to 20 Trident II (D5) ballistic missiles, each of which can carry eight nuclear warheads. The launch range is 12,000 km.

The submarine USS Maine (SSBN-741) is one of the contenders to be the first to go to the Republic of Korea. It arrived in the region last month and made a scheduled visit to a port on the island of Guam.

Note that apart from the SSBN, there are four Ohio-class submarines that are cruise missile carriers, i.e. SSGNs. They are USS Ohio (SSGN-726), USS Michigan (SSGN-727), USS Florida (SSGN-728) and USS Georgia (SSGN-729). Each submarine can be equipped with 154 Tomahawk missiles.

Regular visits by SSBN submarines are not the only point of the "Washington Declaration". The document envisions an increase in the duration of deployment of components of US strategic forces in the Republic of Korea and the establishment of a nuclear advisory group.

Source: Yonhap