The DPRK tested the "Hwasong-18" solid intercontinental missile, the US strategic nuclear submarine docked in South Korea... The "hard-to-head" confrontation has escalated, and the turmoil on the Korean Peninsula has further intensified.
After 40 years of docking in South Korea over U.S. strategic nuclear submarines, the confrontation between North Korea and the United States and South Korea continues. According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency, North Korea's defense minister Jun Man issued a statement on the 20th that the docking of the US "Ohio"-class strategic nuclear submarine in South Korea is a direct nuclear threat to North Korea, which may meet the conditions for North Korea to use nuclear weapons.
In the view of military experts, in addition to stimulating North Korea, the docking of U.S. strategic nuclear submarines and strengthening its extended nuclear deterrent may also stimulate neighboring powers, because South Korea is very close to several neighboring powers.
The US strategic nuclear submarine "Kentucky" docked at the Busan operational base in South Korea.
North Korea's defense minister warned the United States
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yue boarded the US strategic nuclear submarine "Kentucky" docked at the Busan Naval Operations Command base on the afternoon of the 19th, becoming the first South Korean president to board this type of submarine.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon Seok-yue delivered a speech before boarding the boat, Yoon Seok-yue said that today's visit to one of the world's strongest strategic assets, the US strategic nuclear submarine "Kentucky", is very meaningful and reassuring. Yoon Seok-yue said that this is the second time that the US strategic nuclear submarine has docked in South Korea in 42 years since the "Robert Lee" submarine in 1981, which fully reflects the firm will of South Korea and the United States to strengthen the enforcement of extended deterrence through regular dispatch of US strategic assets.
USS Kentucky is the U.S. Navy's Ohio-class strategic nuclear submarine that sailed into the Busan operating base on the 18th, the first meeting of the ROK-US Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG). As the core of the US sea-based nuclear forces, the "Ohio"-class strategic nuclear submarines have an underwater displacement of more than 18,000 tons and can carry up to 24 "Trident" II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, which can carry up to 14 nuclear warheads, and a nuclear submarine can basically destroy a country. At present, the US Navy is equipped with a total of 14 Ohio-class nuclear submarines, of which the Pacific Fleet has 8.
"The Ohio-class carries nuclear missiles with a range of more than 12,000 kilometers, and it does not need to go to South Korea, and even Hawaii can complete the nuclear strike mission," naval expert Wang Yunfei said in an interview with The Paper (www.thepaper.cn). On the other hand, it sends a signal to South Korea that the United States will fulfill its commitment to extend its nuclear deterrent and that the nuclear umbrella remains in place. ”
After the first meeting of the U.S.-ROK NUCLEAR CONSULTATIVE GROUP on the 18th, South Korea and the United States commented that the two countries have shown a firm will to implement the Washington Declaration. Kim Tae-hyo, the first director of the South Korean National Security Office, said at a press conference that South Korea and the United States will build an integrated extended deterrence system, that is, through the Nuclear Consultative Group to jointly decide on extended deterrence matters and take joint actions. Extended deterrence means that if a U.S. ally is attacked by a nuclear attack, the United States will retaliate with nuclear weapons, missile defense systems, and conventional weapons.
North Korea's Hwasong-11 missile has a range of more than 500 kilometers and covers the Busan base in South Korea.
North Korea reacted strongly to the docking of US strategic nuclear submarines in South Korea, and in addition to missile launches, North Korea's defense minister Jun Man also made a strongly worded speech.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean Joint Staff Headquarters said on the 19th that the South Korean military detected that the DPRK launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the eastern waters of the Korean Peninsula in the area of Sunan from 3:30 to 3:46 a.m. that day, and the missiles flew about 550 kilometers respectively and fell into the Sea of Japan.
"The range of the missile launched by North Korea on the 19th is very targeted, and the distance between North Korea's Sunan and South Korea's Busan operational base is also about 550 kilometers, so this missile launch is very targeted, and the signal sent is to remind the United States and South Korea that the base is within the coverage range of North Korean missiles." Military expert Han Dong analyzed.
Qiang Chunnan issued a warning to the US strategic nuclear submarine docking in South Korea, saying that the United States sent the "Ohio"-class strategic nuclear submarine to anchor at the South Korean port operating base in Busan Port is the first time in more than 40 years that strategic nuclear weapons have been deployed in the Korean Peninsula area, and it is also the most blatant and direct nuclear threat to the DPRK. Qiang Chunnan said that the United States should be reminded that "the increased visibility of the deployment of strategic assets, including strategic nuclear submarines, may meet the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons as set out in our national nuclear force policy decree."
Mr. Chun-nam said North Korea's nuclear use regulations allow necessary procedures to be carried out when a country is or judged to be imminent with a nuclear attack.
After several speeches by Kim Yo-jung, vice minister of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, the speech of the North Korean defense minister was supposed to show the attitude of the North Korean military, and the warning at the military level was more colored.
Why a nuclear submarine docking in South Korea might irritate neighboring powers
South Korea's "Minzu Ilbo" published an article that the docking of the "Kentucky" at the port of Busan will not only stimulate North Korea, but also Russia, or will make the situation on the peninsula more turbulent. According to the report, the United States will use strategic nuclear submarines docked on the peninsula to contain Russia. The report also mentioned that on the 18th, Chinese and Russian naval ships entered the Sea of Japan to carry out joint maritime military exercises, which lasted until the 29th.
Recently, a joint military exercise held by multiple forces in the Sea of Japan has attracted attention from the outside world.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the opening ceremony of the "North Joint-2023" exercise was held at 8 a.m. on the 20th in a certain area of the Sea of Japan. The Chinese and Russian forces participating in the exercise will carry out joint exercises on a number of subjects such as sea and air escort, deterrence and dispersion, and anchorage defense.
According to the report, China and Russia are each other's largest neighbors and comprehensive strategic cooperation partners, and the Chinese and Russian militaries are important forces in promoting and maintaining regional peace and stability. Exercise commander Qiu Wensheng said in his speech at the opening ceremony that the exercise is a practical measure to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, another embodiment of the high strategic mutual trust and solid traditional friendship between the two countries and the two militaries, and a multi-dimensional test of the integrated joint combat capability of China's and Russia's naval and air forces in the far sea and far areas. All officers and men participating in the exercise will go all out to enhance their ability to jointly maintain regional peace and stability and cope with various security challenges with practical actions.
After North Korea launched the new Hwasong-18 solid-state intercontinental missile, the United States, South Korea and Japan conducted a trilateral missile defense exercise in the waters off the eastern part of the Korean Peninsula on July 16. Three Aegis destroyers were used in the exercise, the ROK Navy's Kuriya Lee, the U.S. Navy's John Finn, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's Maya. Yonhap News Agency reported that the exercise envisaged North Korea launched a ballistic missile, and the armed forces of the three countries focused on the process of detecting and tracking the hypothetical ballistic missile and sharing information.
"South Korea and several neighboring powers across the sea, the nearest distance is only a few hundred kilometers, although the United States claims that strategic nuclear submarines docked in South Korea to counter North Korea, but it is normal for platforms carrying nuclear weapons to 'show muscles' at such a close distance if they attract the attention of neighboring powers," Han Dong pointed out. ”
"Compared with the docking of strategic nuclear submarines in South Korea, it is more interesting to see whether this move by the United States means that the United States will deploy more strategic weapons to normalized South Korea in the future, such as whether the United States will deploy medium-range missiles in South Korea." Han Dong told The Paper.
The Korea Daily newspaper published an article on July 11 saying that the "Typhon" system actually transferred the US Navy's missile launch system to land use. On June 27, the U.S. Army successfully launched a Tomahawk missile using the Typhon land-based medium-range missile system. According to the report, the United States may put forward a proposal to deploy the "Typhon" system in South Korea next year, and "the South Korean side can take the opportunity to achieve a great leap in South Korea's international status."
The weapons currently equipped with the Typhon land-based medium-range missile system mainly include the new Tomahawk missile with a range of 1,700 kilometers and the "Standard-6" missile with a range of 370 kilometers. Korean media reported that through software upgrades and simple equipment modifications, the "Typhon" system can launch more types of missiles, including LRASM stealth anti-ship missiles with a maximum range of 900 kilometers, improved "Standard-6" missiles that can intercept hypersonic missiles, and "Standard-3Block2A" missiles that can intercept intercontinental missiles.
It is worth mentioning that in June this year, the US Bureau of Investigation reported that "considering the limitations such as range, if the Typhon system is not deployed to overseas US military bases, its combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced, and even its own existence will lose its meaning."
"The cruise missiles equipped with the 'Typhon' system not only cover the entire territory of North Korea, but even part of the territory of neighboring powers are within the range of the missile, and if the United States does deploy medium-range missiles in South Korea, it will be another important move after THAAD enters South Korea, which deserves high vigilance." Han Dong pointed out.