US sends stealth fighter jets into North Korea crisis
US sends stealth fighter jets into North Korea crisis:- The display of military might means that there is a growing strike force assembling around the crisis zone, ready to attack the rogue state at any time.
US officials will send twelve F-35s from a base in Utah, 200 airmen from the 34th Fighter Squadron, and 100 Air Force personnel.
The military team will travel to Kadena Air Force Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa in November.
A spokesman for the joint forces said that their deployment in the region will last for six months.
And, it comes as Kim Jong-Un remains defiant about carrying out future nuclear tests despite angering the international community.
The F-35As carry Block 3I software which make the fighter jets more agile and able to carry an array of missiles and bombs.
A spokesman for the Airforce said: “This long-planned deployment is designed to demonstrate the continuing US commitment to stability and security in the region.
“We expect the F-35A to fly a variety of missions while on this deployment to include ensuring access to global commons, global situational awareness, active defence and power projection to name a few.”
Lieutenant Colonel Lori Hodge, a Pacific Command spokesperson, told The Daily Beast: “These deployments are routine and should not be viewed as aggressive in nature or in response to any specific situation in the region.”
Last week, US and South Korean forces carried out a five day drill in Seoul that involved fighter jets, helicopters and 40 naval ships and submarines from the US and South Korea.
North Korea’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said on Saturday that the latest naval drills have driven the crisis on the Korean Peninsula to a “touch-and-go situation” and accused the allies of “getting frantic with the move to start a nuclear war”.
The United States has been sending its forces to the region more frequently for patrols or drills amid increased efforts by North Korea to expand its nuclear weapons program.
In recent months, North Korea has tested developmental intercontinental ballistic missiles that could potentially reach the U.S. mainland and conducted its most powerful nuclear test to date.
It also flew two powerful new midrange missiles over Japan between threats to fire the same weapons toward Guam, a US Pacific territory and military hub.
Source:- http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/870901/World-War-3-North-Korea-US-sends-fighter-F35A-jets-into-North-Korea-crisis-Kim-Jong-Un
