Even as two Japanese navy ships joined a U.S. carrier group for exercises in the western Pacific, in to demonstrate its military might, North Korea was ready to sink a U.S. aircraft, it said.
In response to rising tension over the North's nuclear and missile tests, and its threats to attack the United States and its Asian allies, the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group was ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump to sail to waters off the Korean peninsula.
As it approaches the area, the position of the carrier strike group was not specified by the United States. Without giving any further details, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive "within days".
North Korea remained defiant.
"Our revolutionary forces are combat-ready to sink a U.S. nuclear powered aircraft carrier with a single strike," the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said in a commentary.
The paper said a strike on it would be "an actual example to show our military's force" and likened the aircraft carrier to a "gross animal".
After a two-page feature about leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a pig farm, the commentary was carried on page three of the newspaper.
On Tuesday, the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People's Army would be marked by North Korea. Important anniversaries have been marked with tests of its weapons by North Korea in the past. North Korea is working to develop nuclear-tipped missiles that can reach the United States and it has conducted five nuclear tests, two of them last year.
In defiance of United Nations sanctions, it has also carried out a series of ballistic missile tests.
Perhaps the most serious security challenge confronting Trump is North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threat. He has said all options are on the table, including a military strike and has vowed to prevent the North from being able to hit the United States with a nuclear missile.
North Korea has warned the United States of a nuclear attack in response to any aggression and says its nuclear program is for self-defense. North Korea has also threatened to lay waste to South Korea and Japan.
North Korea's recent statements had proven to be hollow in the past and should not be trusted but were provocative, said U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Friday.
"We've all come to hear their words repeatedly, their word has not proven honest," Mattis told a news conference in Tel Aviv, before the latest threat to the aircraft carrier. Growing concern that North Korea could strike it with nuclear or chemical warheads
Japan's show of naval force reflects growing concern that North Korea could strike it with nuclear or chemical warheads. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is being urged to acquire strike weapons that could hit North Korean missile forces before any imminent attack by some Japanese ruling party lawmakers. The second largest in Asia after China's is Japan's navy which is mostly a destroyer fleet.
The Japan Maritime Self Defence Force said in a statement that the two Japanese warships the Samidare and Ashigara, will "practice a variety of tactics" with the U.S. strike group and they had left western Japan on Friday to join the Carl Vinson.
By Sunday the destroyers could have reached an area 2,500 km (1,500 miles) south of Japan, which would be waters east of the Philippines but the Japanese force did not specify where the exercises were taking place.
A source with knowledge of the plan said that Japan's ships would accompany the Carl Vinson north at least into the East China Sea and it would take three days to reach waters off the Korean peninsula from the spot that the ships are slated to reach.
(Source:www.cnbc.com)
In response to rising tension over the North's nuclear and missile tests, and its threats to attack the United States and its Asian allies, the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group was ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump to sail to waters off the Korean peninsula.
As it approaches the area, the position of the carrier strike group was not specified by the United States. Without giving any further details, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday it would arrive "within days".
North Korea remained defiant.
"Our revolutionary forces are combat-ready to sink a U.S. nuclear powered aircraft carrier with a single strike," the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said in a commentary.
The paper said a strike on it would be "an actual example to show our military's force" and likened the aircraft carrier to a "gross animal".
After a two-page feature about leader Kim Jong Un inspecting a pig farm, the commentary was carried on page three of the newspaper.
On Tuesday, the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People's Army would be marked by North Korea. Important anniversaries have been marked with tests of its weapons by North Korea in the past. North Korea is working to develop nuclear-tipped missiles that can reach the United States and it has conducted five nuclear tests, two of them last year.
In defiance of United Nations sanctions, it has also carried out a series of ballistic missile tests.
Perhaps the most serious security challenge confronting Trump is North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threat. He has said all options are on the table, including a military strike and has vowed to prevent the North from being able to hit the United States with a nuclear missile.
North Korea has warned the United States of a nuclear attack in response to any aggression and says its nuclear program is for self-defense. North Korea has also threatened to lay waste to South Korea and Japan.
North Korea's recent statements had proven to be hollow in the past and should not be trusted but were provocative, said U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Friday.
"We've all come to hear their words repeatedly, their word has not proven honest," Mattis told a news conference in Tel Aviv, before the latest threat to the aircraft carrier. Growing concern that North Korea could strike it with nuclear or chemical warheads
Japan's show of naval force reflects growing concern that North Korea could strike it with nuclear or chemical warheads. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is being urged to acquire strike weapons that could hit North Korean missile forces before any imminent attack by some Japanese ruling party lawmakers. The second largest in Asia after China's is Japan's navy which is mostly a destroyer fleet.
The Japan Maritime Self Defence Force said in a statement that the two Japanese warships the Samidare and Ashigara, will "practice a variety of tactics" with the U.S. strike group and they had left western Japan on Friday to join the Carl Vinson.
By Sunday the destroyers could have reached an area 2,500 km (1,500 miles) south of Japan, which would be waters east of the Philippines but the Japanese force did not specify where the exercises were taking place.
A source with knowledge of the plan said that Japan's ships would accompany the Carl Vinson north at least into the East China Sea and it would take three days to reach waters off the Korean peninsula from the spot that the ships are slated to reach.
(Source:www.cnbc.com)
