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The Weapons of a North Korea–Japan Missile Standoff
Popular Mechanics ^ | 3/26/2012 | By Joe Pappalardo

Posted on 03/28/2012 10:00:55 PM PDT by U-238

In the Pacific, saber rattling is done with missiles.

North Korea has announced that it will launch a Taepodong ballistic missile to celebrate the birthday of North Korea's founder, Kim Il Sung, on April 15. The country claims this will be a satellite launch, but most observers agree the test is meant to demonstrate a weapon delivery system. Either way, it violates a fresh agreement that North Korea signed just one month ago pledging not to test long-range missiles.

In a notice to the International Maritime Organization, North Korea says the missile stages will splash down near the west coast of South Korea and east of Luzon in the Philippines. But Japan is taking no chances, preparing its missile-defense systems to shoot down the North Korean missile if it strays into Japanese territory. (And all this is happening while President Barack Obama is at a nuclear summit in Seoul, South Korea, urging North Korea and Iran to give up their nuclear programs.)

(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Japan; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ballisticmissile; eastasia; icbm; jsdf; koreanpeninsula; missiledefense; northkorea; pac3; sm3; taepodong

1 posted on 03/28/2012 10:00:58 PM PDT by U-238
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To: U-238

I just read a report it is fueling now. BRB


2 posted on 03/28/2012 10:07:14 PM PDT by cmsgop ( The left always accuses the right for the sins of the left. from FReeper Just Lori, RIP)
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To: U-238

Maybe we should sell those Aegis cruisers to Japan and S.Korea. They need them.


3 posted on 03/28/2012 10:07:52 PM PDT by Oldexpat
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It would be nice to recover one of these stages, if the rocket blows up on the pad or broken up in flight.


4 posted on 03/28/2012 10:08:11 PM PDT by U-238
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To: Oldexpat

The JSDF and South Korea have Aegis cruisers


5 posted on 03/28/2012 10:10:07 PM PDT by U-238
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To: U-238

Unlike the North Koreans, Japan doesn’t have nukes.

Unlike the North Koreans, Japan could have thermonuclear weapons in about a week.

The North Korean government is insane...


6 posted on 03/28/2012 10:12:29 PM PDT by piytar (The predator-class is furious that their prey are shooting back.)
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To: piytar

You are correct.


7 posted on 03/28/2012 10:13:53 PM PDT by U-238
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