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USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: July 1, 2024

U.S. Naval Institute Staff – USNI News Graphic

These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of July 1, 2024, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.

Ships Underway

Total Battle ForceDeployedUnderway
296
(USS 235, USNS 61)		106
(USS 73, USNS 33)		62
(45 Deployed, 17 Local)

In Japan

The official party salute as the ceremonial color guard parades the colors during a change of command ceremony for Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan/Navy Region Japan (CNFJ/CNRJ) at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, June 26, 2024. Rear Adm. Ian Johnson relieved Rear Adm. Carl Lahti as the 37th commander of CNFJ/CNRJ on June 26, 2024. US Navy Photo

USS America (LHA-6) is in Sasebo. America will change homeports later this year, USNI News has learned.

In Laem Chabang, Thailand

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd class Toi Williams takes a photograph aboard the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship, USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) as Blue Ridge arrives in Laem Chabang on June 28, 2024. US Navy Photo

U.S. 7th Fleet command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) arrived in Laem Chabang, Thailand on Friday for a scheduled port visit.

In the East China Sea

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol gives remarks aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) in Busan, Republic of Korea, June 25, 2024. US Navy Photo

USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), along with ships and aircraft from Japan and the Republic of Korea, participated in the inaugural execution of exercise Freedom Edge, a trilateral multi-domain exercise to promote interoperability and stability in the Indo-Pacific, including the Korean Peninsula. Theodore Roosevelt is expected to transit to the Middle East to relieve USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and continue a U.S. presence mission in the region, as reported by USNI News.

Carrier Strike Group 9

Sailors heave around lines during sea and anchor detail aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) as the ship departs Busan, Republic of Korea (ROK), June 26, 2024. US Navy Photo

Carrier
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), homeported at San Diego, Calif.

Carrier Air Wing 11

A MH-60S Knight Hawk, assigned to the ‘Eightballers’ of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8, takes off from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) during exercise Freedom Edge, June 28, 2024. US Navy Photo
  • The “Fist of the Fleet” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 25 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.
  • The “Black Knights” of VFA 154 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Lemoore.
  • The “Blue Blasters” of VFA 34 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
  • The “Fighting Checkmates” of VFA 211 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
  • The “Rooks” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 137 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
  • The “Liberty Bells” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 115 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif.
  • The “Providers” of Fleet Logistics Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
  • The “Wolf Pack” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.
  • The “Eightballers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8 – MH-60S – from Naval Air Station North Island.

Cruiser
USS Lake Erie (CG-70), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.

Destroyer Squadron 23
Destroyer Squadron 23 is based in San Diego and is embarked on Theodore Roosevelt.

  • USS John S. McCain (DDG-56), homeported at Naval Station Everett, Wash.
  • USS Halsey (DDG-97), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
  • USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

In the Middle Pacific

Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, USS Robert Smalls (CG-62), receives a fueling line from USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), during a fueling-at-sea in the Pacific Ocean, July 1, 2024. US Navy Photo

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is underway in U.S. 3rd Fleet, USNI News has learned.

The carrier will head to Washington state later this year for a planned repair availability. USS George Washington (CVN-73) will replace Reagan in Japan.

In Peal Harbor, Hawaii

USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024, June 25, 2024. US Navy Photo

The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Tuesday in preparation for Rim of the Pacific 2024 exercises.

In the Mediterranean

An AH-1Z Viper, left, assigned to the ‘Blue Knights’ of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 365 (Reinforced), and an MH-60S Knight Hawk, assigned to the ‘Dragon Whales’ of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28, flies patrol as the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) transits the Strait of Gibraltar, June 26, 2024. US Navy Photo

The command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) transited eastbound through the Strait of Gibraltar on Sunday, according to ship spotters.

The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) transited eastbound through the Strait of Gibraltar on Wednesday after a brief stop in Rota, Spain, according to ship spotters.

The Wasp Amphibious Ready Group with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked deployed from the East Coast on June 1. The ARG is made up of Wasp, USS New York (LPD-21) and USS Oak Hill (LSD-51).

The 24th MEU is composed of a command element, Battalion Landing Team 1/8, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced) and Combat Logistics Battalion 24 as the Logistics Combat Element.

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) arrived Souda Bay, Greece on Tuesday, according to ship spotters.

Eisenhower will operate briefly in the Mediterranean before returning to its homeport of Norfolk, Va., after being deployed for more than eight months. USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), currently in the Pacific, will leave for the Middle East to continue a U.S. presence mission in the region, USNI News reported.

Carrier Strike Group 2

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) arrives in Souda Bay, Greece, June 25, 2024. US Navy Photo

Carrier
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), homeported at Norfolk, Va.

Carrier Air Wing 3

  • The “Gunslingers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
  • The “Fighting Swordsmen” of VFA 32 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
  • The “Rampagers” of VFA 83 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
  • The “Wildcats” of VFA 131 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
  • The “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
  • The “Screwtops” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 123 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
  • The “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Air Station Norfolk.
  • The “Swamp Foxes” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
  • The “Dusty Dogs” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7 – MH-60S – from Naval Station Norfolk.

Cruiser
USS Philippine Sea (CG-58), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.

Destroyer Squadron 22
Destroyer Squadron 22 is based in Norfolk, Va., and is embarked on Eisenhower.

  • USS Gravely (DDG-107), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
  • USS Mason (DDG-87), homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.

The temporary U.S.-built pier aimed at boosting aid shipments to Gaza was removed once again due to weather to protect it, and the U.S. is considering not reinstalling it unless the aid begins flowing out into the population again, U.S. officials said Friday.

In the Red Sea

U.S. ships continue to patrol the Red Sea as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, the U.S.-led multinational effort to protect merchant vessels moving through the region. Houthi forces in Yemen continue to attack merchant shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, while U.S. naval forces in the region have continued strikes against Houthi weapons that U.S. Central Command says are a threat to naval and merchant ships. Houthi forces say they are targeting ships with connections to the United Kingdom, the U.S. and Israel.

The U.N. Security Council on Jan. 10 approved a resolution calling on Yemen’s Houthi rebel group to “cease its brazen” attacks in the Red Sea.

On Sunday, U.S. Central Command destroyed three Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed surface vessels in the Red Sea in a self-defense action.

On Friday, CENTCOM forces successfully destroyed seven Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles and one ground control station vehicle in Yemen.

On Thursday, CENTCOM forces destroyed one uncrewed aerial system launched by Houthis into the Red Sea.

On Wednesday, CENTCOM forces destroyed one Houthi radar site in Yemen.

In the Persian Gulf

U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters are forward-deployed to the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships with U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East. Initially deployed in 2003 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, PATFORSWA is now a permanent presence based out of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

In the Western Atlantic


The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) departed Norfolk, Va. on Tuesday for sea trials following a two-and-a-half-year DSRA and returned on Friday, according to ship spotters.

In the Eastern Pacific

Colombian navy special forces simulate visit, board, search, and seizure on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) while underway in the Pacific Ocean, June 29, 2024. US Navy Photo

The aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) conducted bilateral exercises with the Colombian Navy on Saturday.

As part of its transit to Japan, George Washington is participating in Southern Seas 2024, which seeks “to enhance capability, improve interoperability, and strengthen maritime partnerships with countries throughout the region through joint, multinational and interagency exchanges and cooperation,” according to a news release from U.S. Southern Command.

In addition to these major formations, not shown are others serving in submarines, individual surface ships, aircraft squadrons, SEALs, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, Seabees, EOD Mobile Units and more serving throughout the globe.

Russians used the Turtle Tank in Ukraine, now they’ve moved on to the Motor Shed

Stuart Rumble – 2nd July 2024 at 11:06am

Watch: Russians using Mad Max-style motorcycle combinations in Ukraine

Russian forces have been using a new incarnation of Second World War-style equipment on the frontline in Ukraine – the motorcycle.

War is said to be the mother of all invention, and these motorbike and makeshift sidecar combinations have been fitted with some sort of overhead cover.

These latest Mad Max-style pieces of battlefield tech look like a distant cousin or offshoot of the Turtle Tank family and have been dubbed the Motor Shed.

A video circulating on social media hints at the value Russian commanders are putting on the manoeuvrability of motorbikes in combat conditions.

Looking more like a WW2 exhibit at a military museum, the ‘sidecars’ – resembling an open-topped rectangular crate – appear to have been designed for either carrying supplies or for casualty evacuation.

The motorbikes themselves appear to be copies of Second World War-era German BMW or Zundapp motorcycles.

These were used to good effect, both with and without sidecars, during Operation Barbarossa – Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.

It is unclear how successful the Motor Sheds might be in protecting troops or delivering supplies.

But their presence is further evidence of the desperate search by Russian commanders to find new ways to replace depleted kit destroyed by Ukrainian forces.

PACIFIC OCEAN (June 28, 2024) – An AS-332 Super Puma, assigned to the Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE 14), delivers supplies to the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Louisiana (SSBN 743) during a vertical replenishment at sea June 28, 2024.

The presence of the SSBN in the Pacific demonstrates the flexibility, survivability, readiness, and capability of the U.S. Navy submarine forces and complements the many exercises, training, operations, and other military cooperation activities conducted by Strategic Forces to ensure they are available and ready to operate around the globe at any time. Homeported in Bangor, Washington, and currently assigned to Submarine Squadron 17, Louisiana is an undetectable launch platform for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, providing the United States with its most survivable leg of the nuclear triad. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Andrew McPeek)

Some 60 (ish) years ago, a fine picture of the Illustrious-class armored-deck fleet carrier HMS Victorious (R38) flying a paying-off (or possibly return home) pennant. Warshipologist contends this is when leaving Singapore (Sembawang) in July 1964. A commando carrier is already alongside, which would likely be the Bulwark, possibly Albion.

Ranged on her deck are Blackburn Buccaneers, Westland Wessex HAS.3 helicopters De Havilland Sea Vixens a Fairey Gannet COD4, and Fairey Gannet AEW.3s.

I had these in my collection that date from the same period and added them to the Warshipologist post, repeated below:

However, McCart dates the top image to Thursday 4th of May 1967, and says it is of Victorious heading home to start her ill-fated last refit.

USS Wasp, Marines enter Mediterranean amid Israel-Hezbollah tensions

By Tara Copp

The USS Wasp and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard is sailing with the USS Oak Hill and USS New York. (John Minchillo/AP)

The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp entered the eastern Mediterranean Sea this week as the U.S. positions warships to try to keep fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon from escalating into a wider war in the Middle East.

While the Wasp has the capability to assist in the evacuation of civilians if full-scale war breaks out between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group along the Lebanon border, that’s not the primary reason it was rotated in, a U.S. official said.

“It’s about deterrence,” the official said.

A second U.S. official said the rotation is similar to the U.S. sending the USS Bataan assault ship into the waters around Israel shortly after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, with the vessel remaining for months in the eastern Mediterranean to help provide options and try to contain the conflict. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operational details.

U.S. officials said last week that the deployment of the Wasp was likely as the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its air wing left the region. The Wasp carries F-35 fighter jets, which do short takeoffs and vertical landings, so they can do airstrike missions off smaller ships.

U.S. European Command, which is responsible for ships operating in the Mediterranean, announced the move this week, saying the Wasp and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard would sail with the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill, which is used to transport Marines, landing craft, vehicles and cargo. The Oak Hill is already in the Mediterranean.

The Wasp also is sailing with the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York, which can deliver troops either by on-deck helicopters or landing vessels.

It all comes as Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily cross-border strikes since the Oct. 7 attacks that launched the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and they have been escalating gradually.

A U.S. official said concerns about a major escalation are now lower than they were last week but remain higher than they were last month. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to relate internal Biden administration thinking, said the assessment had less to do with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s meetings in Washington this week and more to do with a reduction in attacks from both Hezbollah and Israel in recent days.

The Israeli army said last week that it has “approved and validated” plans for an offensive in Lebanon, although any decision would come from the country’s political leaders.

Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Sunday that any Israeli military offensive into Lebanon would risk an Iranian response in defense of Hezbollah, triggering a broader war that could put American forces in the region in danger.

The Eisenhower, based in Norfolk, Virginia, is returning home after a deployment of more than eight months countering Houthi strikes on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, which the Navy says is its most intense mission since World War II. The San Diego-based USS Theodore Roosevelt will take the Eisenhower’s place.

Associated Press Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed.

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USNS Burlington Departing July 3 for Continuing Promise Mission in Caribbean

Heather Mongilio – June 28, 2024 6:35 PM

SNS Burlington (T-EPF 10) transits in the Caribbean Sea during UNITAS 23 July 16, 2023. US Navy Photo

USNS Burlington (T-EPF-10) will deploy July 3 and head to the Caribbean and South America for the beginning of the Continuing Promise mission.

Continuing Promise is a humanitarian mission that sees Navy sailors, medical professionals and civilians provide medical care for communities in need, while also building partnerships, a panel of Navy leaders told reporters Friday. The Navy will visit Jamaica, Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia and Panama.

The mission set for this year’s Continuing Promise exercise will include the medical aide and working to establish relationships with partners, as well as discussions on humanitarian aid and disaster relief, women, peace and security, said Rear Adm. Jim Aiken, commander of US 4th Fleet and Naval Forces Southern Command, during a roundtable.

“We have friends and we have partners, and, really, we enjoy the side-by-side that we have with each and every one of them, and we learn from them, and they learn from us,” Aiken said.

This year, Continuing Promise will not include hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20). Instead, Burlington will act as the hub for the mission due to its transport capabilities. Although the EPFs are being outfitted to be able to handle medical operations, most operations will be done on land, he said.

The Navy may consider Burlington as a lead ship for the Navy’s hybrid fleet, Aiken said, which means the Navy can look at how the EPF functions during the mission.

“So the ETF is really just a hub, a base for operations,” Aiken said. “Going forward, certainly there’ll be some things to learn about, how to best outfit it, how to best resupply it, where it can pull into, you know, those types of things.”

While the Navy does track how many patients are seen, the metrics for the mission’s success are qualitative, he said.

“But at the end of the day, what we’re really evaluating, what we’re really assessing, is the strength of the relationships, and that’s really what’s most important going forward,” he said.

The mission has seen success in previous years, something that Lt. Cmdr. Zachary Smith, Continuing Promise 2024 Mission commander, expects to see this year as well.

“The mission is a symbol of our long-standing commitment to the nations and people of Latin America and the Caribbean, and we’ve delivered on our promises, working hand in hand with our partners to deliver, over the course of the history of mission, more than 600,000 medical treatments, over 7000 surgeries and you know, countless construction projects, holding life projects, community relations events,” he said.

RFA Argus heading to Australia for major exercise with 20 other nations and 140 aircraft

1st July 2024 at 12:36pm

RFA Argus is on her way to Australia (library image) (Picture: Royal Navy)

RFA Argus, the hospital ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, is on her way from Singapore to Australia to join a large-scale flying exercise taking place over the Northern Territory.  

Exercise Pitch Black will involve 4,435 personnel from 21 countries and more than 140 aircraft.

Held every two years, the exercise is the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) most significant flying activity, focusing on bringing together large numbers of international aircraft.

The name Pitch Black is thought to originate from the focus on night-time flying over vast, unpopulated areas.

Designed to provide a rapid response coordinated with Australia’s international partners, this year Pitch Black 24 will be the largest in the exercise’s 43-year history.

The exercise will be conducted primarily from RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory, with additional aircraft operating from RAAF Base Amberley, located near Ipswich in Queensland.

For Australia’s allies, the exercise provides training in how to deploy over great distances, with some countries travelling from around the globe to reach it.

RFA Argus will be sailing more than 2,000 miles from the Johor Strait, an international passage in southeast Asia between Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia, to the north of Australia.

The RFA vessel has around 100 hospital beds on board and acts as a floating medical facility during times of war or crisis.

No other country can bring the same level of medical capability to sea as RFA Argus, with the exception of the United States.

Exercise Pitch Black runs from 12 July until 2 August.

HMAS Choules delivers Bushmaster fleet to Fiji

A Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle bound for the Republic of Fiji Military Forces is loaded onto HMAS Choules in Brisbane, Queensland. Photo: ABIS Lucinda Allanson

Fourteen Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles have been delivered to Fiji under a month-long deployment in the South West Pacific.

The vehicles and spare parts were ferried by Royal Australian Navy Bay-class landing ship, HMAS Choules, to strengthen Fiji’s peacekeeping capability and enhance the Australian Defence Force’s engagement with Fiji and Tonga.

Later in the deployment, Choules will represent Australia at the 50th anniversary of the Tonga Royal Navy and His Majesty King Tupou VI’s 65th birthday celebrations.

Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Greg Bilton, said the Royal Australian Navy was a frequent visitor to the region and the deployment followed visits by ADV Reliant and HMAS Stuart earlier in the year.

“HMAS Choules is demonstrating its versatility by delivering 14 Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles purchased by Fiji, to the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.

“Australia deeply values our close maritime security partnership with Tonga, which dates back to the 1980s.

“I know the crew of Choules is looking forward to taking part in this significant milestone for the Tonga Royal Navy.

“Celebrating the anniversary along with His Majesty’s birthday makes for a very special event.”

The Australian Defence Force has a strong and enduring relationship with the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, according to a Defence statement published on June 30.

After delivering the Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles, Choules will embark the Republic of Fiji Navy band for transport to the Tonga Royal Navy’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

HMAS Choules is expected to return to Australia in late July.

The Republic of Fiji Navy is currently undertaking the salvage of a donated Guardian Class patrol boat, RFNS Puamau, after it was stranded on a reef last month.

The vessel has reportedly been successfully freed from reefs near Fulaga and been towed away for repair work and damage assessment, according to local media.

North Korea launches a ballistic missile off its east coast, South Korea says By HYUNG-JIN KIM

The Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is anchored in Busan, South Korea, on June 22, 2024. (Song Kyung-Seok, Pool Photo via AP)

Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2024-06-30/north-korea-launch-ballistic-missile-14347412.html?utm_source=Stars+and+Stripes+Emails&utm_campaign=Daily+Headlines&utm_medium=email
Source – Stars and Stripes

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea launched a ballistic missile off its east coast Monday, South Korea’s military said, a day after the North vowed to take “offensive and overwhelming countermeasures” in response to a new U.S. military drill with South Korea and Japan. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch was made on Monday morning but gave no further details, including how far the weapon traveled. The launch came two days after South Korea, the U.S. and Japan ended their new multidomain trilateral drills. The “Freedom Edge” drill drew a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyers, fighter jets and helicopters from the three countries, and the three countries practiced missile defense, anti-submarine and maritime interdiction drills. On Sunday, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry issued a lengthy statement strongly denouncing the U.S., South Korea and Japan over their three-way drill. It called the drill an Asian version of NATO that openly destroys the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and contained a U.S. intention to exert pressure on Russia and lay siege to China. The North’s Foreign Ministry said it will “firmly defend the sovereignty, security and interests of the state and peace in the region through offensive and overwhelming countermeasures.” Monday’s launch was the North’s first weapons firing in five days. Last Wednesday, North Korea launched what it called a multiwarhead missile in the first known launch of a developmental, advanced weapon meant to defeat U.S. and South Korean missile defenses. North Korea said the launch was successful, but South Korea dismissed the North’s claim as deception to cover up a failed launch. In recent weeks, North Korea has floated numerous trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea in what it has described as a tit-for-tat response to South Korean activists sending political leaflets via their own balloons. Meanwhile, North Korea opened a key ruling party meeting Friday to determine what it called “important, immediate issues” related to works to further enhance Korean-style socialism. On the meeting’s second-day session Saturday, leader Kim Jong Un spoke about “some deviations obstructing” the county’s efforts to improve its economic status and unspecified important tasks for resolving immediate policy issues, North Korea’s state media reported Sunday. PREVIOUS COVERAGE Latest North Korean missile failed in flight, South’s Joint Chiefs say RELATED STORIES As North Korean and Chinese threats rise, US looks to lock in defense partnerships with Asian allies Naval, air drills signal start of first large-scale exercise by US, South Korea, Japan

Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2024-06-30/north-korea-launch-ballistic-missile-14347412.html?utm_source=Stars+and+Stripes+Emails&utm_campaign=Daily+Headlines&utm_medium=email
Source – Stars and Stripes