US submarine docks in Korean waters

A US nuclear-powered submarine docked at the South Korean port city of Busan on Tuesday in what might be another display of American military power amid heightened tension on the Korean peninsula.

A South Korean military official, however, told Yonhap news agency that the submarine has docked in Busan to rest its 130 crew members and replenish supplies.

The official also added that the US submarine has no plans to participate in any joint manoeuvres with South Korea, Efe news reported.

The USS Cheyenne, whose home port is Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, weighs 6,900 tonnes and is 110 metres long.

Last week, US nuclear aircraft carriers Carl Vinson and Ronald Reagan had also carried out manoeuvres in waters close to North Korea, in a deployment that was interpreted as a warning to the growing nuclear and missile threats by Pyongyang.

North Korea's repeated nuclear tests led Washington to toughen its rhetoric, including hinting at the possibility of preemptive strikes if Pyongyang does not abandon its nuclear and missile programme.

The USS Cheyenne, which has participated in various military operations, including Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, is equipped with Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles that have a range of 3,100 km.

--IANS

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