US send 'nuclear sniper' to Asia

seoul - The United States has sent a special plane to Asia to collect traces that may point to a possible North Korean nuclear test. The WC-135 Constant Phoenix device gathered Thursday information above the Japanese Sea, said a government source against the South Korean state press office Yonhap.

The plane has the nickname 'sniper' because it takes samples out of the atmosphere. This allows nuclear explosions to be detected. According to Yonhap, Thursday's flight is apparently intended to find out if the Pyongyang regime has conducted a new nuclear test.

The device would have arrived earlier this month on an American air force base in Japan. There were already indications that North Korea is preparing for a new nuclear test.