The U.S. naval warship USS John McCain and a sea-based radar station (aka The Floating Golfball often seen tethered at Pearl Harbor) have headed out to sea to keep a closer watch on North Korea. 

And it looks like a second guided-missile destroyer from Pearl Harbor will join them this week. The USS Chung-Hoon will depart Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Tuesday for “an independent deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.”

The Chung-Hoon is a multi-mission anti-air, anti-submarine vessel. It is named for Native Hawaiian Rear Adm. Gordon Paiea Chung-Hoon, recipient of the Navy Cross and Silver Star in World War II for conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary heroism as Commanding Officer of USS Sigsbee (DD 502) from May 1944 to October 1945.

Navy officials said the ship’s departure, originally planned for Feb. 28, was pushed back due to sequestration. 

And given North Korea’s most recent threats against the U.S., and being in a “state of war” with South Korea, a second missile destroyer out in the Pacific could come in handy.

— Sara Lin

Photo credit: U.S. Missile Defense Agency, Wikimedia Commons.