UK draws up plans to back US military attack on North Korea
By
Robert Stevens
10 October 2017
The British government is in discussions with the Trump administration on its role in a military confrontation with North Korea. On Monday, the Daily Mail published an article that included detailed information on the British military’s plans to back the US military. The article cited Royal Navy, government and civil service sources.
The Mail said a war against Korea would involve Britain sending a fleet to the Korean peninsula, along similar lines as what Britain did in its war against Argentina in 1982. The Mail stated, “One option involves deploying Britain’s new aircraft carrier—due to be handed over to the Navy later this year—to the region before she has undergone flight trials.”
Under this scenario, the £3 billion HMS Queen Elizabeth, carrying 12 F-35B fighter jets, would join US warships off the Korean peninsula. The Queen Elizabeth carrier is currently involved in a sea trial around its Portsmouth base and not due to enter full service until 2020. However, the article noted that the ship “will be commissioned at the end of this year.” It continued, “Navy sources said she could technically then be sent to war.”
The article stated, “In 1982, aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious was rushed into service early for the war with Argentina.” The report cited a “Navy source” saying, “In the Falklands we had to react to an event and HMS Illustrious was accelerated to respond. This was a reaction to protect British territory, however. In this case [North Korea], the UK would be part of a united global coalition. We would see what support we could give.”
The newspaper also cited a “senior Whitehall source, who said, ‘We have plenty of ships to…