U.S. Carrier Puts Focus On North Korea Worries

Wall Street Journal | March 14, 2003 | Jay Solomon

[Stand Watch Listen]

ABOARD THE U.S.S. CARL VINSON -- As North Korea ups the ante in its nuclear brinkmanship, U.S. forces across North Asia are mobilizing to try to keep Kim Jong Il's regime at bay.

In few places is this more apparent than here in the waters off Japan, where the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Carl Vinson and four accompanying warships train night and day amid a steady stream of North Korean missile tests and nuclear threats. Indeed, U.S. airmen here voice fears that North Korea could ultimately eclipse Iraq as a security threat if tensions in the region continue to mount.

"Our ultimate goal is to be present and strong so that countries like North Korea won't pose problems," says Captain Donald Quinn, who commands the Carl Vinson battle group's air wing. The commander speaks as a steady stream of F-18 fighter jets roar off the carrier's flight deck into the night skies somewhere over the Western Pacific Ocean.

Concern grew Thursday on news that Japan had also sent a high-tech warship into the Sea of Japan last week, apparently the same day it learned that North Korea may soon test an intermediate-range ballistic missile. Tokyo said it had sent one of its four Aegis-equipped destroyers -- which include top-of-the line surveillance systems and ship-to-air missiles -- into the waters between Japan and North Korea. U.S. officials here on the Carl Vinson say its fleet has held a number of training exercises in recent weeks with their Japanese counterparts to better coordinate their activities.

On Monday, North Korea test-fired a short-range missile, but its longer-range Nodong missiles directly threaten Japan with a range of up to 900 miles. The Yomiuri, Japan's largest newspaper, reported Thursday that North Korean army vehicles had been spotted gathering near several launching sites in the Northeast, according to U.S. intelligence reports, and other parts of the isolated communist country.

A spokesman for the Japanese government denied that Tokyo had received any specific information from the U.S. about a Nodong launch but said the Japanese government is "paying close attention and gathering information." The Yomiuri report and bad economic data sent Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average down nearly 1% to one of its lowest levels in two decades.

Washington has also kept up the pressure on North Korea in recent days, announcing that it would resume spy flights off North Korea's north coast, a little more than a week after North Korea fighter jets intercepted an unarmed U.S. surveillance plane. The Pentagon has also announced that the Carl Vinson will sail to South Korea to take part in a massive military exercise with the South Korean military set for this month. U.S. stealth aircraft will be used in the "Full Eagle" exercises, the Pentagon announced.

American preparedness for any North Korean threat is very much apparent on the Carl Vinson as its pilots get ready for both air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks. On a recent evening, four F-18 pilots from the Mighty Redcocks squadron convene in a briefing room to discuss their mission for the night. The Carl Vinson will be under attack by two hostile MiG29 jets, says Lt. Aaron Parks, and it's up to two of the F-18 Hornets to protect the ship at all costs.

The North Koreans used MiG29s in their attempted interception of the U.S. spy plane this month. The Mighty Redcock pilots say they're not training specifically for the North Koreans, but voice confidence that they could respond to any provocation. "Our focus is to stay combat-ready and execute our missions every day," says 38-year-old pilot Lt. Rey Molina.

Sailors say their hearts and minds are now with their fellow officers stationed in the Persian Gulf. Still, many say they know they can't relax being in waters near North Korea. "To be honest," says one serviceman, "the North Korean leader troubles me a lot more than Saddam."

-- Sebastian Moffett in Tokyo contributed to this article.

[Jumper]

Axis of Evil.

1. Iraq - next.

2. North Korea - stravation and the redeployment of coalation forces will end this cold war left over provocation.

3. Iran - elections and freedom may do it; if not the defeat of their proxy forces in Lebannon by Israel will force the demise of the blood thirsty Mulla's.

[robomurph]

Does anyone know how many M 29s North Korea has?

[North Coast Conservative]

Get US Out of the United Nations

In God We Trust…..Semper Fi

[AmericanInTokyo]

North Korea has 16 MiG-29s. On the top of the top of their airforce are allowed to fly them.