North Korea is jittery over the joint exercises planned in the Philippine Sea between the United States and Japan and wants to show off its military strength. Two ships of the Japanese Navy would participate in the joint exercises with ships along with USS Carl Vinson. Making a note of this, a local newspaper has commented that the ship was like a “gross animal” and will be sent to the bottom of the sea in one single strike once North Korea decides to show its military abilities.
The United States on the alert
Fox News reports that USS Carl Vinson is on its way to the Korean Peninsula as ordered by President Donald Trump.
The orders were given because of increase in tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile tests with threats of attacking the United States and its allies.
Two Japanese destroyers joined the team of USS Carl Vinson, and two other U.S. warships and the fleet moved towards its destination. There are a guided-missile cruiser and a guided-missile destroyer in its fold. Incidentally, the aircraft carrier was directed to cancel a scheduled visit to Australia and instead head towards North Korea in a show of force. However, before doing that it first carried out a short training exercise with Australia.
Incidentally, USS Carl Vinson left San Diego on Jan. 5 and had conducted three bilateral exercises with the Japanese Navy.
The latest one was in March.
North Korea on the horns of a dilemma
Why North Korea is keen to develop nuclear missiles continues to remain a mystery. It has been trying for quite some time to master the technology, but its attempts have not given the desired results. It conducted two of its five nuclear tests last year, and some rumors are in the process of developing nuclear-tipped missiles that could target the United States mainland.
The leaders of the country are determined to make a point with their nuclear ambitions, and in the opinion of analysts, the country could be planning to carry out its sixth nuclear test in the wake of a failed missile launch. They want to do this ahead of the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army scheduled for Tuesday.
The buildup in the Korean peninsula with the arrival of USS Carl Vinson is adding to the tensions. While the U.S. knows its arsenal, it does know exactly what the opponents have in theirs. Efforts to coax Pyongyang to drop its nuclear programs have fallen on deaf ears because its leaders are not willing to listen to reason.
They have an agenda of their own and feel that the U.S. is trying to bulldoze its way into North Korea which they must prevent at all costs. However, the situation is volatile because nuclear weapons could be involved and both sides must tread carefully.
