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Officials are expecting a response from North Korea
The US and South Korean are set to hold a joint exercise in the East and West Seas from Monday to Friday.
The US will deploy its nuclear-powered carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan.
North Korea is expected to respond with another provocation in protest.
An anonymous military official said: “In various locations in the North, a transporter erector launchers (TELs) have repeatedly appeared and disappeared.
“Based on this, we have judged that the North could launch a provocation at any time, and we have remained on increased alert.”
A defence official, who declined to be named, said: “Though the US weapons systems will be displayed unarmed. This shows America’s resolve that they could be deployed anytime in case of a contingency on the peninsula.”
Pyongyang has not launched any major provocation since it fired a ballistic missile over Japan in September.
But Seoul and Washington officials remain on high alert after Kim Jong-un’s recent warnings of more powerful action.
Pyongyang’s mouthpiece, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), said: “Trump, an old lunatic, hurled a stream of abuses at the DPRK, which seemed to be suggestive of an extreme option against it
“He recently bluffed, talking about “calm before a storm” when meeting with military brass hats of the US.
“Some days later, he made reckless remarks that the past DPRK-US dialogue proved ineffective and that only one thing would prove effective.”
Rodong Sinmun, newspaper of the North Korea’s Workers Party, also attacked South Korea for “toeing the US line”.
The USS Ronald Reagan is 333-meters-long, 100,000-tonnes and is stationed in Yokosuka, Japan.
The Reagan has a deck the same size as three American football fields and 70 aircraft on board, including fighter jets and helicopters.
During the drills, the airborne battle management aircraft, the Joint Surveillance Target Radar System, is expected to be deployed.
It is capable of monitoring North Korea’s ground force movements and coastal artillery.
The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Michigan has already arrived at the southern port of Busan as part of a regularly scheduled deployment.
It is reported to be armed with more than 150 Tomahawk tactical missiles with a range of 1242 miles.
It is one of the largest submarines in the world and is capable of precision strikes on North Korea.
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The Reagan has a deck the size of three American football fields
The US military has said its contribution to the exhibition will include a B-1B Lancer strategic bomber, A-10 Thunderbolt II, C-17 Globemaster III, C-130J Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker, E-3 Sentry, U-2 Dragon Lady, RQ-4 Global Hawk and F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets.
Also in the line-up will be a F-35A Lightning II, U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon and U.S. Army CH-47F Chinook.
The display comes following months of tensions with North Korea following tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles which were first tested in July.
Last month, the hermit kingdom tested a missile capable of reaching continental US.
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The Regan has has 70 aircraft on board including fighter jets and helicopters
President Trump met with top defence officials on Tuesday to discuss his options.
In a statement, the White House said: “This morning President Donald Trump met with members of his national security team to receive a briefing from Secretary of Defence James Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford.
“The briefing and discussion focused on a range of options to respond to any form of North Korean aggression or, if necessary, to prevent North Korea from threatening the United States and its allies with nuclear weapons.”
After the meeting, the US flew two supersonic bombers over the Korean peninsula.
Donald Trump’s North Korea meeting was held in the situation room in the White House where US Presidents traditionally hold “war councils” at times of conflict.
The most senior US general recently told the American army to “stand ready” for war with North Korea.