Strategy to 'destroy' North Korea missiles to be applied during exercises

Feb. 7 (UPI) -- A bilateral U.S.-South Korea strategy to detect, defend, disrupt and destroy North Korea missiles, also known as 4D, is to be applied to the upcoming Key Resolve joint military exercises.

The 4D operations, jointly approved in November 2015, were first employed in drills in 2016.

In March, the strategy is to become more "concrete," according to Yonhap news agency.

The Command Post Exercises are to simulate a full-scale war scenario that assumes the deployment and readiness of THAAD, the U.S. missile defense system, at its designated location in central South Korea.

This year's Key Resolve exercises are expected to be the largest on record.

Details of strengthening the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises were discussed during recent talks between U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis and his Seoul counterpart Han Min-koo, a Seoul defense official told Yonhap.

"The United States is in talks regarding the deployment of U.S. strategic assets to the peninsula," the unidentified official said.

The possible deployment of the B-1B strategic bomber from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the B-2 stealth bomber from the U.S. mainland, the B-52 long-range nuclear bomber, and F-22 stealth fighters maintained by U.S. Forces Korea are being discussed, according to the report.

In a separate development, South Korea is to deploy a new 1,800-ton class submarine on the second anniversary of its submarine headquarters, local news service EDaily reported on Wednesday, local time.

Seoul's submarine headquarters was created in the aftermath of the sinking of the South Korean ship Cheonan.

The submarine can be equipped with the Haesung III, an anti-ship cruise missile with a range of 300-600 miles, according to the report.