USS Maine with 20 Trident II nuclear-powered missiles with a launch range of 12,000km has arrived in Guam and could become the first Ohio-class submarine to visit South Korea

On Wednesday, the Republic of Korea and the US signed the "Washington Declaration". One of the points of the agreement is to send US nuclear-powered submarines to South Korea. The first candidate is the Ohio-class submarine USS Maine (SSBN-741).

Here's What We Know

The nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the western Pacific last month. It called at a port on the island of Guam in the Indo-Pacific Command's area of responsibility. US Navy officials said the arrival of USS Maine (SSBN-741) was a demonstration of deterrence capabilities.

The strategic missile cruiser was commissioned in 1995. Its home base is USS Bangor, Washington.

The nuclear-powered sub carries 20 Trident II (D5) intercontinental ballistic missiles with a maximum launch range of 12,000 km. Each missile can carry eight nuclear warheads. In addition to USS Maine (SSBN-741), the US Navy has 13 more Ohio-class Trident II submarines:

• USS Louisiana (SSBN-743).
• USS Wyoming (SSBN-742);
• USS Rhode Island (SSBN-740);
• USS Nebraska (SSBN-739);
• USS Maryland (SSBN-738);
• USS Kentucky (SSBN-737);
• USS West Virginia (SSBN-736);
• USS Pennsylvania (SSBN-735);
• USS Tennessee (SSBN-734);
• USS Nevada (SSBN-733);
• USS Alaska (SSBN-732);
• USS Alabama (SSBN-731);
• USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730);

In the 1970s, Ohio-class submarines felt at home in South Korea, visiting the country 2-3 times a month. In the 1980s, the U.S. stopped stationing its nuclear warheads in the republic. After that, the visits ceased. Although submarines carrying Trident II missiles will return to South Korea after a 40-year break, there is no talk of deploying nuclear weapons in the country.

Source: The Washington Times