Politics
Master Sgt. Jeremy Lock/USAF
Days after North Korea tested a new, dangerous missile type and allegedly engaged agents to assassinate Kim Jong Un's half-brother in Malaysia, the US plans to send the big guns to the Pacific in a massive show of force.
The USS Carl Vinson has been making its way to the Pacific, and it will be joined by the world's most lethal combat plane, the F-22s, a nuclear-powered submarine, and possibly B-1 and B-2 nuclear-capable bombers.
"The two sides have agreed to send such weapons as the F-22 stealth fighter and a nuclear-powered submarine to the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises in March," a
Lee Jin-man/AP
South Korean Marine, right and U.S. Marines aim their weapon near amphibious assault vehicles during the U.S.-South Korea joint landing military exercises as a part of the annual joint military exercise Foal Eagle between South Korea and the United States in Pohang, south of Seoul, South Korea, Monday, March 30, 2015.
US and South Korean forces will participate in military drills together to enhance readiness and test their ability to defend against North Korean missile attacks - an ability recently challenged by North Korea's latest missile advance.
Key Resolve and Foal Eagle represent two annual major military drills carried out by US and South Korean troops that regularly rile up North Korea, who usually threaten some sort of "catastrophic outcome" to what they see as a US-initiated provocation.
US Navy Photo
The South Koreans intend to spend $114 million developing an electromagnetic pulse weapon to cripple North Korea's command and control abilities as well as laser weapons systems to pull off a surgical strike on the country's nuclear missile facilities, Yonhap reported.