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We have just parked a guided-missile submarine in a convenient spot right by hermit nation.
The USS Michigan (SSGN 727), an Ohio-class guided missile submarine pulled into a South Korean naval base in the city of Busan.
An SSGN is able to approach North Korea, fire its missile payload deep inland with weapons that have a range over 1,200 nautical miles. And they're as accurate as an astronomer's prediction that the sun will rise in the morning.
Some experts agree that this nuclear class of submarine could one day replace the aircraft carrier as the centerpiece of our Navy's fighting capability.
The U.S. Pacific Command says the Michigan's visit to South Korea was planned, the message to the fat man in the North is clear--we will stand with Seoul if Pyongyang makes any aggressive moves and blow their butts right off the map.
"The U.S. and ROK [Republic of Korea] navies have always enjoyed a strong relationship. Today, our relationship is stronger than it has ever been and our ironclad partnership is further reinforced by this visit from Michigan," Rear Adm. Brad Cooper, commander U.S. Naval Forces Korea, said.
"Michigan Sailors were warmly welcomed by the ROK Navy today and I know they'll receive the same wonderful welcome from the local community during their visit to Busan."
Michigan was constructed as a ballistic missile sub, armed with 24 Trident II D5 missiles. She was converted into a cruise missile armed vessel in 2007 and is armed with 154 UGM-109 Tomahawk missiles, with 22 missile tubes that could get those bad birds in the air faster than you can say "duck" in Korean.
Two remaining missile tubes onboard the four Ohio-class SSGN conversions--Ohio, Michigan, Florida, and Georgia--were converted into lock-out tubes for special operations forces such as the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams.
SSGNs can hold up to 66 special ops personnel and mount a dry-dock shelter and SEAL delivery vehicles, making them stealthy and ideal to insert special ops forces into hostile territory such as Kim Jong Un's bedroom.
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