'US Aegis Destroyer "Catching North Korean Missiles" Docked in Jeju Last Week'

Raphael Peralta Ship, Visited on the 27th of Last Month and Departed on the 3rd
US Warship Enters Jeju Port for the First Time in 5 Years

The U.S. Navy's latest destroyer, the USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115), capable of simultaneously intercepting North Korea's low-altitude and high-altitude missiles, made a port call in Jeju Island last week.

According to the U.S. Pacific Fleet on the 5th, the Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyer USS Rafael Peralta entered Jeju on the 27th of last month and departed on the 3rd. This marks the first time in five years that a U.S. warship has visited the Jeju base since the international fleet review held there in 2018.

US Navy John Finn Aegis Destroyer.
Photo by Asia Economy DB

The USS Rafael Peralta is the main surface combatant of the U.S. Pacific Fleet's 7th Fleet, which oversees the Western Pacific and is considered the most powerful in the region, with a full load displacement of 9,200 tons.

The USS Rafael Peralta, the 65th ship of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, was commissioned in 2017 and features significantly upgraded capabilities compared to the lead ship of the class, commissioned in 1991.

Equipped with the latest Baseline 9C Aegis combat system, it can simultaneously intercept both high-altitude and low-altitude missiles as well as defend against enemy aircraft attacks. This means it can intercept the diverse and multiple missile launches North Korea has demonstrated since last year, which aim to overwhelm the combined U.S.-South Korea air defense network.

Additionally, it is capable of anti-air, anti-surface warfare, and strike missions, and can carry two MH-60 "Seahawk" helicopters to conduct anti-submarine operations.

The USS Rafael Peralta's visit to South Korea coincided with the presence of the Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Springfield (SSN 761, approximately 6,000 tons), which stayed at the Busan operational base from the 23rd of last month to the 1st of this month. The simultaneous appearance of U.S. strategic assets?a nuclear submarine and an Aegis destroyer?in the Korean Peninsula is interpreted as a measure to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and to check China.

There are also expectations that additional maritime exercises involving South Korea, the U.S., and Japan will be conducted soon. Previously, on the 22nd of last month, South Korea, the U.S., and Japan conducted a missile defense exercise in the East Sea near the Japanese mainland to practice detecting, tracking, and intercepting North Korean ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles).