A US Ohio-class submarine carrying 20 Trident II ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads may visit South Korea in July for the first time in 42 years
This year, the US and the Republic of Korea signed the so-called "Washington Declaration", under which a US submarine carrying nuclear weapons will be sent to the Asian country for the first time in decades. This is likely to happen before the end of this month.
Here's What We Know
The US will send an Ohio-class submarine carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads to South Korea. It will be a move in response to the growing threats from North Korea. The last time a US submarine of the Trident system was in the Republic of Korea was in 1981.
The next submarine is expected to dock in the country on 27 July. That day will mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement. The document halted hostilities that took place from 1950 to 1953.
It is not yet known which strategic missile cruiser will go to South Korea. One of the candidates was the submarine USS Maine (SSBN-741). Apart from it, 13 other Ohio-class submarines are also equipped with ballistic missiles:
- USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730);
- USS Alabama (SSBN-731);
- USS Alaska (SSBN-732);
- USS Nevada (SSBN-733);
- USS Tennessee (SSBN-734);
- USS Pennsylvania (SSBN-735);
- USS West Virginia (SSBN-736);
- USS Kentucky (SSBN-737);
- USS Maryland (SSBN-738);
- USS Nebraska (SSBN-739);
- USS Rhode Island (SSBN-740);
- USS Wyoming (SSBN-742);
- USS Louisiana (SSBN-743).
In total, they are capable of launching up to 20 Trident II (D5) intercontinental ballistic missiles, each armed with eight nuclear warheads. The maximum launch range is more than 12,000 km.
The USS Michigan (SSGN-727), which you can see in the photo above, recently visited the country for the first time since 2017. It too is an Ohio-class submarine, but it carries up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles without a nuclear warhead.
Source: The Korean Times
