Since Kim Jong-un came to power in North Korea,
nuclear testing has become nearly a monthly game show. This has really given
the United States much concern and the Obama administration applied economic
sanction to avert a possible arm conflict between Washington and Pyongyang.
After the US President vowed to "totally
destroy" North Korea if it poses a threat to the US or its allies, the
North Korean leader branded Trump "mentally deranged" while his
foreign minister remarked that Pyongyang could consider a hydrogen bomb test of
an unprecedented scale on the Pacific Ocean.
The news comes after North Korea’s UN envoy
said the country would never bow down to international pressure and give up its
nuclear weapons program, diplomatic means of addressing the hostilities appear
to have been sidelined in favour of military action.
The US military has a huge presence in the area
around North Korea, particularly in Japan and increasingly close allies South
Korea.
There are almost 40,000 US troops serving in
Japan, more than in any other country, and earlier this year the US Air Force
lined up a huge array of helicopters, tactical fighter jets and surveillance
aircraft in a show of force aimed to intimidate Kim Jong-un.
The B-1B bomber is heralded for its survivability and although initially
designed to carry nuclear arms, it was converted to carry more conventional
weaponry after the Cold War.
The US is believed to have at least six B-1B
bombers stationed in Guam and is best suited to a ‘medium threat environment’,
rather than a heavily defended airspace.
Speaking about plans for a possible preemptive
strike on North Korea earlier this month, retired Admiral James Stavridis told
NBC News: “The B-1b has also been selected because it has the added benefit of
not being able to carry nuclear weapons.
“Military planners think that will signal China,
Russia, and Pyongyang that the US is not trying to escalate an already bad
situation any further."
The B-52 was first introduced in 1955 and was
originally designed to carry nuclear weapons during the Cold War. It remains
one of the most superior aircraft in the US Air Force.
The US also maintains a smaller presence in other
countries in the region, including Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines. US
military aircraft use Thai runways while the US Navy will operate four warships
out of Singapore by next year.
Recommendation
Security council should come up with strong diplomatic and economic sanction in other to prevent civilian casualties.