Posted on 03/16/2012 10:25:50 PM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
Rush-- w/out translation.
Japan is threatening North Korea with deploying and activating its own Missile Defense (MD) system, and shooting down the North Korean ICBM test launched scheduled from between 12 April and 16 April, a move stunningly announced by Pyongyang news sources yesterday and creating considerable tension in Northeast Asia suddenly.
No time to do an English translation now but am linking the breaking Japan story in Japanese. Will synopsize later, but wanted to get the thread and linked article up ASAP.
Woah... can they DO that Constitutionally? Did Japan change their laws... because I thought they could not have an offensive military, not that I am complaining mind you. I am merely surprised.
That said, it is still a good idea to deploy and make ready the missile defense assets. This is after all, NK rocket technology. There is a significant probability of a malfunction and the vehicle and payload (whatever it is) could fall way short. Being able to engage it and at least detonate/destroy the volatiles/fuel on board could reduce the risk to anyone under its footprint. Besides, even if they don't engage it, just having the sensors (radars, IR?) and crews on station and tracking it will provide valuable intel and training.
The best defense is a good offense.
There is plenty of things that 0bama could do to smooth things out, and to be statesmanlike... especially in this election year.
For example, 0bama could send a few taxpayer billion$ to North Korea AND Japan, so that Japan could feel better when Norkea launches...
Or, in a more strategic move, 0bama could unilaterally decomission more US Nukes, so that the Norks don't feel so threatened, when they do this launch "test".
If it's really Japan's feeling of insecurity at stake here, 0bama could, say, send BOTH Hillary! AND Halfbright, out of retirement of course, over to monitor the launch...
There is LOTS 0bomba could do here to improve the situation and make everybody feel much better!
They revised defense protocols to Constitutionally allow for such an attack. I agree with many here that Japan has developed stuff that is not in the public eye and they will not hesitate to use, and then feign ignorance over the whole thing.
I stand corrected!
The real question is, how good is NK radar and telemetry? If the trajectory is low enough that a Japanese Aegis BMD DDG could engage it...and they did...who would know? The crew of the Destroyer, maybe the US Navy and Air Force who would also be watching. But if everyone agreed to keep their mouth shut about the um “unannounced operational readiness test/training event...” The NKs would simply think they’d had another malfunction. ;-) Hey, target missiles and range time are expensive. If the NKs are going to provide one, why not? I’m sure the Japanese sailors would be happy to scrub the decks and erase any missile exhaust soot before returning to port. “Who, me? I didn’t see nuthin’!”
it would be real difficult to miss two missile contrails, what do you think this is? The coast of California?
a nervous LOL
Yep, if the Russians, Chinese, North Vietnamese or North Koreans couldn’t shoot down a fast, high-flying plane (SR-71 and other variants) then an ICBM is out of reach, at least for now.
Once again, it is the newbie calling for the draft. Say hello to Mrs Rangel for us all.
President Reagan may have some cards left to play yet? President Reagan probably left us a full deck. At least President Reagan loved this nation and wanted this nation to survive, unlike the present zer0. There are many like President Reagan at this site and throughout the nation. Betting our nation has a full deck. Thank you President Reagan. Miss him.
If the missile was fired at Alaska, the GBIs based in silos there would have a shot at it (as it approached Alaska, not over Japan) The GBI has barely been tested under real-life conditions, but it is physically capable of the interception.
The issue isn't mostly the range of the trajectory, it's the acceleration and geometry of interception in boost or early mid-course. You need a truly enormous, very fast,very expensive missile - which the long-canceled Kinetic Energy Interceptor was.
The Aegis SM-3 Block II which has an IOC of 2018 has a shot at ICBMs in early midcourse. It will be the first missile so big it completely fills a strike-length VLS cell top to bottom, side to side - SM-3 can't get bigger after that without new ships/new VLS.
So until 2018 the Japanese can't do jack squat about any ICBMs flying over Japan.
The Japanese PAC-3s already exist so it isn't a big deal to "deploy" them. And any statements about them probably refer to intercepting a failed ICBM (which is a high probability) that happens to fall towards Japan.
All of this is basic physics known to all/open-source/unclassified, btw.
Obama can be 100% relied upon to only do what most advantages himself personally as well as his fellow travelers. That usually means betraying the friends of the US and helping its enemies.
Mike
Good shooting !
An SM-3 took out a satellite in orbit in Burnt Frost in 2008, don’t forget.
Seems to me that a shoot down pretty much puts the last nail in the coffin of North Korea.
OTOH, a failed attempt at a shoot down would embolden NK & other regimes.
AIT, by this time, I am sure the Japanese and Korean leaders have figured out just exactly how useless Obama is.
I personally do not think the US/Japan Security Treaty would last another four years of Obama. My gut feeling is that they are only holding on to it now because they’re praying with their most private and desperate hopes that he is defeated in November.
If he wins, or if he remains in office by other means, the Japanese will start thinking pragmatically about coming to an understanding with China.
China could dangle some considerably tasty bait to lure the Japanese out of the American alliance. Would they be willing to? Would the Japanese go for it? Ask me again in November.
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