US To Shoot Down N. Korean Rocket?

[S2]

Dreadnought Reply

Your reply indicates a great confidence in our ability to intercept and destroy this launch. My suspicion is that the Japanese can do the same.

I'm certain that the Chinese would view a Japanese intercept with some alarm and the hue and cry would be immense...frankly on both sides. I'd anticipate an absolute flood of heretofore chained Japanese nationalist sentiment as well.

For all the cry about rising Chinese ambitions, there remain powerful latent capabilities in key American allies like Japan, S. Korea, and Australia. Further, I suppose, any hopes for a continued Chinese economic "miracle" will hinge upon our and the rest of the west's own recovery.

There are no internal/alternative markets to absorb China's output. It's fate is tied to the global trading system like virtually all others.

It's the S. Koreans, though, who'll pay the largest price (besides N. Korea) if these cats come unglued. The NKPA would likely slime everything between Uijongbu and Seoul. Not pretty.

Another nation threatening the world by holding itself hostage to self-destruction.

"...it shows that they cannot control North Korea within their sphere of influence."

I certainly hope that the PRC haven't deluded themselves to such but Andy, Astralis, and the Colonel could probably talk to that. I don't know. I do know, of course, that as fraternal comrades in the great patriotic war for reunification they've occasionally had past moments of symmetry...:))

Still I see no shame being unable to control those rabid dogs.

It's probably time to quit dancing with these fcuks. We should have jumped their bones in 1994.

Knock it down and let the chips fall where they may...

[Dreadnought]

A little background on the testing and an actual interception.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3My0...eature=related

[S2]

Dreadnought Reply

Brilliant guys aren't they?

Amazing. I never imagined an intercept to be so intricate. I guess I imagined a brute-force ballistic intercept of one big vehicle slamming another. In-flight corrections, nose-cone ejection, and all that were well out of my scope of imagination.

Thanks.

[Dreadnought]

Brilliant guys aren't they?

Amazing. I never imagined an intercept to be so intricate. I guess I imagined a brute-force ballistic intercept of one big vehicle slamming another. In-flight corrections, nose-cone ejection, and all that were well out of my scope of imagination.

Thanks.

Yeah, the eggheads are pretty impressive I must admit.:))

[Mobbme]

U.S. destroyers on move as N. Korea prepares rocket launch

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Navy ships capable of shooting down ballistic missiles are being moved to the Sea of Japan, a Navy spokesman said.
The USS Chaffee is one of two destroyers headed to South Korea for an upcoming ceremony.

The USS Chaffee is one of two destroyers headed to South Korea for an upcoming ceremony.

The move came as North Korea was preparing for an expected rocket launch next month.

Later Thursday, Japan announced it was ready to fire on the rocket if any part of it enters Japanese airspace.

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada's order was to destroy debris from the North Korean rocket if its launch fails and fragments fall in Japanese territory, said defense ministry spokesman Yuichi Akiyoshi.

The U.S. ships, with powerful Aegis radar that can track ballistic missile launches, were on regularly planned deployments but were, "prepared to track a launch or more, if afforded," according to a U.S. Navy official who could not be named due to the sensitivity of the information.

The United States generally has a number of Aegis-capable ships in the Sea of Japan because of the threat posed by North Korea to launch missiles. The ships monitor the region and are designed to track and, if need be, shoot down ballistic missiles. See a satellite image of a North Korean launch site »

North Korea says it will launch a commercial satellite on top of a rocket sometime between April 4 and April 8. But Western governments fear the North Koreans will actually put a long-range missile on top of the rocket.
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If North Korea launches, the Obama administration may have as little as five minutes to decide whether it is a threat and, if necessary, try to shoot it down.

The USS Hopper, a destroyer with the Aegis radar system aboard, was scheduled for a port call in Japan in coming days. But the port call was canceled and the ship will remain in the Sea of Japan ahead of the launch, the official said.
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Two other U.S. Navy Aegis-capable destroyers, the USS Chaffee and USS McCain, were leaving the port in Sasebo, Japan, and were heading to South Korea for a ceremony in coming days, according to the U.S. Navy official with direct knowledge of the operations.

The U.S. Navy just wrapped up military exercises with the South Korean military, bringing a number of its ships into the region.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapc...ips/index.html

Wow, this thing is really going down eh? The Godfather (kim jong) doesn't play around, he means business.

[Dreadnought]

No worries, the other article on this states that Mr. Obama can make up his mind in 5 minutes how to react. AEGIS will make up its mind much sooner then five minutes time once the missle breaches the radar horizion. Its not as if the tools arent there for they most certainly are but then again that all depends on Mr. Obamas decision. We shall see. They are more then likely to allow it to go and use this demonstration against the NK's with the security counsel and their findings. Dont know what it will accomplish taking this issue back to the UNSC but who knows.

[Mobbme]

No worries, the other article on this states that Mr. Obama can make up his mind in 5 minutes how to react. AEGIS will make up its mind much sooner then five minutes time once the missle breaches the radar horizion. Its not as if the tools arent there for they most certainly are but then again that all depends on Mr. Obamas decision. We shall see. They are more then likely to allow it to go and use this demonstration against the NK's with the security counsel and their findings. Dont know what it will accomplish taking this issue back to the UNSC but who knows.

Whoh, this is like a big confrontation, and not too many people are even taking this as serious as it is.

Say the US intercepts it, what would North Korea do?

Say Japan does, will NK invade Japan?

[Stitch]

Whoh, this is like a big confrontation, and not too many people are even taking this as serious as it is.

That was exactly why I created this thread a few weeks ago; a highly respected member of the Administration actually broached the possibility of the interception of a foreign missile/rocket and, at the time, I did not perceive much of a reaction from the international community. So, yes, it still amazes me that more people have not reacted to this situation more than they already have. Perhaps there's a hidden agenda here?

[Mercenary]

What are N.Korea's options if Japan intercepts? - missile strikes on Japan ?

They've prev declared that any interruption in the flight path would be an act of war on NKorea... so is it really worth it ? ..

If it were up to me..i'd just let the rocket go... N.Korea is just rying to provoke its neighbours

[Stitch]

What are N.Korea's options if Japan intercepts? - missile strikes on Japan ?

They've prev declared that any interruption in the flight path would be an act of war on NKorea... so is it really worth it ? ..

If it were up to me..i'd just let the rocket go... N.Korea is just rying to provoke its neighbours

. . . . although it WOULD be a great real-world test of the US's sea-based ABM capability . . . . .

[TopHatter]

Say the US intercepts it, what would North Korea do?

Say Japan does, will NK invade Japan?

Not in the realm of possibility.

North Korea couldn't invade Japan even if they wanted to. Their sea- and air-lift capabilities are, well, practically non-existent...except for deploying thousands of their special forces in a total suicide attack.

The Japanese SDF would quickly make hamburger out of anything coming their way...gleefully so. That's even assuming that the United States doesn't lift one finger to help Japan against an attack...which is almost not in the realm of possibility.

China has a better chance of invading Taiwan than the DPRK does against Japan.

[Mobbme]

Not in the realm of possibility.

North Korea couldn't invade Japan even if they wanted to. Their sea- and air-lift capabilities are, well, practically non-existent...except for deploying thousands of their special forces in a total suicide attack.

The Japanese SDF would quickly make hamburger out of anything coming their way...gleefully so. That's even assuming that the United States doesn't lift one finger to help Japan against an attack...which is almost not in the realm of possibility.

China has a better chance of invading Taiwan than the DPRK does against Japan.

Oh ok. I thought North Koreans had a very strong army.

I have a feeling this won't go well, because the North Koreans have been itching and calling out war for a few years now. I think they're ready for whatever might come their way, and ready to take on whoever if provoked.

[TopHatter]

Oh ok. I thought North Koreans had a very strong army.

They do! Or, at least, they did. Numerically it's still quite large and their special forces branch is mammoth given the size of their country. (Not to mention historically quite active)

But unleashing a powerful army against a foe that is separated by a large body of water has been historically quite difficult.

The Wehrmacht knew this 70 years ago and the PLA has been painfully aware of it for the last 60.

Besides, at the moment, their equipment is antiquated and their soldiers are poorly fed...and I mean poorly fed. But at least they're eating. Most of their countrymen are simply starving.

Take a look at pictures of DPRK soldiers...they're typically skinny as a rail due to malnutrition.

One thing they have in abundance is artillery...read on:

I have a feeling this won't go well, because the North Koreans have been itching and calling out war for a few years now. I think they're ready for whatever might come their way, and ready to take on whoever if provoked.

They can certainly try...and they can certainly cause thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of casualties, especially civilian, and billions of dollars of damage...but at the end of the day, it'll still be mass-suicide.

[Officer of Engineers]

The strange thing in all of this is that the Chinese had made it clear that a military option is on their books and Kim has not moved one division north.

[Mobbme]

They do! Or, at least, they did. Numerically it's still quite large and their special forces branch is mammoth given the size of their country. (Not to mention historically quite active)

But unleashing a powerful army against a foe that is separated by a large body of water has been historically quite difficult.

The Wehrmacht knew this 70 years ago and the PLA has been painfully aware of it for the last 60.

Besides, at the moment, their equipment is antiquated and their soldiers are poorly fed...and I mean poorly fed. But at least they're eating. Most of their countrymen are simply starving.

Take a look at pictures of DPRK soldiers...they're typically skinny as a rail due to malnutrition.

One thing they have in abundance is artillery...read on:
They can certainly try...and they can certainly cause thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of casualties, especially civilian, and billions of dollars of damage...but at the end of the day, it'll still be mass-suicide.

I've been reading about their history, and I find it odd that when Japan had Korea as a colony they used the Koreans to work in factories etc, but when the North kidnapped Japanese folks they were used as teachers.

If Japan could invade the whole of Korea a full century ago, isn't there a slight chance Korea could do the same to Japan? Japan has the fancy weapons, but once the Koreans are in Japan, the Japanese can't use those weapons.

The North Koreans are screwed, and I do see how you mean it would be a mass-suicide. But ONLY because the US is supporting Japan. If the North invades the South, the South can't use nukes but* the US and Japan is there, and same thing goes if North invades Japan. Misery, that's all there is for the North Koreans.

I don't typically think physical size matters. If there's a will, there is a way. Look at the majority of Chinese and Indian soldiers, they are closer to anorexia than runaway models but they post a real threat in combat. If there were no guns, then for sure the North would be a joke, but a gun in anyone's hand is a big threat.

I read somewhere that the North was under Soviet's arm, so do the Russians support the North? If so, where do they stand in all this? Or the Chinese?