WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Navy noted that the ship was scheduled to arrive to Japan this summer, but the deployment was delayed to ensure proper modernization and testing.
"Milius is undergoing a midlife modernization and will be fitted with the Aegis Baseline 9 combat system, which includes state of the art air defense, BMD, surface warfare and undersea warfare capabilities," the release stated.
On July 4, North Korea announced it had successfully launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, saying it traveled 580 miles and reached an altitude of 1,740 miles during its 39-minute flight before accurately hitting a targeted area in the Sea of Japan. The test was sharply criticized by the international community.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping's latest visit in Moscow, the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries issued a joint statement proposing ways to settle the North Korean issue. Moscow and Beijing urged Pyongyang to refrain from nuclear tests, and called on Washington and Seoul to cease joint drills.
