US Preparing to Put Nuclear Bombers on 24-Hour Alert
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - The US are preparing to place their nuclear bombers on 24-hour alert for the first time since the Cold War in response to threats of annihilation from Kim Jong-un, it has been revealed.
US Air Force chief of staff General David Goldfein confirmed the plan amid concern North Korea’s nuclear warpath could ignite World War 3, Express reported.
It comes after Donald Trump met with his top military chiefs, claiming their talks were “the calm before the storm”.
Speaking with Defense One, General Goldfein said: “This is yet one more step in ensuring that we’re prepared.
“I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure we’re prepared going forward.”
Kim Jong-un has continued to step up his warmongering rhetoric following his threat to wipe the US off the face of the earth in April.
General Goldfein added: “The world is a dangerous place and we’ve got folks that are talking openly about the use of nuclear weapons.
“It’s no longer a bipolar world where it’s just us and the Soviet Union.
“We’ve got other players out there who have nuclear capability. It’s never been more important to make sure that we get this mission right.”
Meanwhile the senior military man has told his commanders to begin planning for the event of all-out nuclear war.
He said: “I’ve challenged Air Force Global Strike Command to help lead the dialogue, help with this discussion about ‘What does conventional conflict look like with a nuclear element?’ and ‘Do we respond as a global force if that were to occur?’ and ‘What are the options?’.
“How do we think about it — how do we think about deterrence in that environment?”
On Sunday Donald Trump confirmed the US is "totally prepared" to respond to North Korea ahead of Boris Johnson’s call for the US President to not rule out a strike on the Korean Peninsula.
The Republican firebrand has long claimed he will do whatever is necessary to stop the rising technological advances of Kim Jong-un’s military – promising to rain “fire and fury” down on North Korea if the young despot steps out of line.
Now with the UK’s Foreign Secretary set to praise his military preparedness, Trump has warned North Korea it is “shocking” how “totally prepared” the US is for conflict with Kim.
He said: "We'll see what happens. We are so prepared, like you wouldn't believe."
“You would be shocked to see how totally prepared we are if we need to be.
"Would it be nice not to do that? The answer is yes.
“Will that happen? Who knows, who knows.”