Donald Trump taunts Kim Jong-un by sending an aircraft carrier with a ‘naval strike group’ near North Korea
DONALD Trump stoked up tensions with Kim Jong-un today as he reportedly sent a US Navy carrier strike group steaming towards North Korea.
The battle group - including a carrier with dozens of fighter jets and several other warships - is set to arrive next month when it will take part in joint military drills with South Korea and Japan.
The news - which is sure to inflame tensions with Pyongyang - came as the US Air Force carried out practice bombing raids in a show of force over the Korean Peninsula early today.
Two B1-B Lancer bombers were seen flying in menacing formation with four F-35B stealth jets and four South Korean F-15K fighters in a joint military drill.
Warplanes released live weapons at a firing range in South Korea, the US Pacific Command said in a statement.
The US jets also conducted formation training with Japanese fighters over sea near the southern island of Kyushu.
It was a clear signal to Kim after the tyrant unleashed yet another ballistic missile on Friday, which flew across Japan and landed in the Pacific after a flight of some 2,300 miles - proving US territory Guam is within range.
The US has not commented on the deployment of the carrier group, which was revealed today by South Korea's defence ministry, which said its navy will take part in joint exercises with "the US aircraft carrier strike group".
It did not name the carrier that will take part in drill next month.
Earlier this year two carrier strike groups, led by the USS Carl Vinson and USS Ronald Reagan, were seen sailing side by side off North Korea in the biggest show of force since Pyongyang stepped up its missile program.
Last night the USA's ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley warned North Korea will be "destroyed" if Kim continues with "reckless" missile tests.
Ms Haley said: "We have pretty much exhausted all the things that we can do at the Security Council at this point.
If North Korea keeps on with this reckless behaviour, if the United States has to defend itself or defend its allies in any way, North Korea will be destroyed.
"And we all know that. And none of us want that. None of us want war.
"We're trying every other possibility that we have, but there's a whole lot of military options on the table."
Deadly force: how a carrier group strikes fear in the enemy
The carrier strike group is the US Navy's chief weapon in its global projection of power.
Previously known as carrier battle groups, carrier strike groups (CSGs) are small fleets capable of being deployed in flexible combat operations practically anywhere in the world.
The group is led by a supercarrier, whose air wing of 65 to 70 planes and helicopters provide the primary offensive firepower.
The carrier is supported by at one or two missile cruisers, a destroyer squadron of two or three destroyers or frigates, and one or two attack submarines.
Their principal role is to support and defend the carrier, but they may also take part in offensive operations, such as launching cruise missiles at inland targets.
A CSG may also include logistics vessels and a supply ship. In total there could be around ten warships sailing together, depending on the mission.
The US Navy maintains 11 carrier strike groups, each of around 7,500 personnel. Ten are based in the US and one of "forward deployed" to Japan.
The Pentagon's plans say that at any time six CSGs must be deployed or ready to deploy within 30 days.
Russia and China have rejected US calls for them to rein in North Korea, telling Mr Trump: "You started this, you end it."
Kim has threatened nuclear armageddon on US soil after the nation's sixth and most powerful nuke test on September 3.
Mr Trump has warned Kim will face "fire and fury like the world has never seen" if he strikes the US or its allies.
Amid rising tensions, airlines are said to be avoiding the region over fears panicky North Korea could shoot a passenger jet in an MH-17 style atrocity.
MOST READ IN WORLD NEWS
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.