Japanese, South Korean commanders tour US Navy nuclear sub in military ‘first’
- Naval officials inspect ballistic missile vessel as US prepares to send an Ohio-class submarine to the Korean peninsula for more patrols
- Chinese analysts say deployment aimed in large part at containing China
The US Navy Seventh Fleet said on Thursday the commanders came together to inspect the USS Maine, an Ohio-class submarine, on April 18, the first time “senior commanders of the submarine fleets of the three nations” had done so.
The Seventh Fleet said the tour was an example of how the US had advanced a trilateral relationship that was “forward-leaning, reflective of shared values, and resolute against threats that challenge regional stability”.
“These submarines, which patrol continuously, provide a critical, stabilising, and highly effective element of the US nuclear deterrence,” US Navy Rear Admiral Rick Seif was quoted as saying.
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Beijing denounces US and South Korea plans for nuclear submarine
It is not clear if the Maine is the same vessel that will be sent to the Korean peninsula but the deployment decision came after a request from South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol last month for the United States to deploy more of its strategic nuclear assets his country to deter the North from ramping up missile tests.
Chinese analysts said the deployment was meant to put pressure on China and Russia – and not North Korea.
