The threat of World War 3 continues to loom as the US moves three carrier strike groups closer to North Korea ahead of Donald Trump’s visit to Asia in November.
Brigadier General Anthony Tata warned that the heavy US military presence in the region indicates troops are preparing for active combat with North Korea.
Speaking to Fox News, Mr Tata said: “There are three carriers – Nimitz, Roosevelt and Reagan – and anytime we’ve had two it usually meant we were going to combat.
“Now we got three in the same area and it tells me we are tightening the screws from a military element of power standpoint on North Korea.
“It tells me that things are very tense in that region.”
The Brigadier General explained the US amped up its military pressure on the DPRK to support the economic “element of power” the country is exercising on Kim Jong-un, namely the Senate-approved sanctions weighing down the North Korean economy.
Mr Tata added: “We know these elements of power, the economic, is working: North Korea is being squeezed hard economically. We’ve got the information power. Word is going back and forth. We got diplomatic power. Now you got military power.
“Three carrier strike groups mean we are poised to do something if we have to.”
Mr Trump will visit Asia for the first time in early November on a 12-day trip which will include China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam.
The Navy has not revealed specific missions for the Roosevelt and Nimitz, but the presence of more massive warships in the region will definitely draw criticism from at least North Korea.
The ships’ accompanying nine cruisers and destroyers are equipped with the Aegis anti-missile system, which the US sees as a key defence mechanism against any possible attack by North Korean missiles.