Posted on 05/20/2015 5:03:08 AM PDT by McGruff
Photos showing a North Korean missile launched from a submarine were manipulated by state propagandists, a top U.S. military official said on Tuesday.
North Korea, heavily sanctioned by the United States and United Nations for its missile and nuclear tests, said on May 9 it had successfully conducted an underwater test-fire of a submarine-launched ballistic missile. If true, it would indicate progress in its pursuit of building missile-equipped submarines.
On Wednesday, the North warned Washington not to challenge its sovereign right to boost military deterrence and boasted of its ability to miniaturize nuclear warheads, a claim it has made before and which has been widely questioned by experts and never verified.
But Pyongyang is still "many years" from developing submarine-launched ballistic missiles, U.S. Admiral James Winnefeld told an audience at the Centre for Strategic & International Studies in Washington on Tuesday.
"They have not gotten as far as their clever video editors and spinmeisters would have us believe," said Winnefeld, who is vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Analysis seen by Reuters from German aerospace engineers Markus Schiller and Robert Schmucker of Schmucker Technologie appeared to support Winnefeld's statement.
The Munich-based pair said photos of the launch were "strongly modified," including reflections of the missile exhaust flame in the water which did not line up with the missile itself.
North Korea, which regularly threatens to destroy the United States, had a track record of offering faked proof to claim significant advances in missile technology, Schiller and Schmucker said, such as poorly built mockups of missiles on display at military parades in 2012 and 2013.
A photo on state TV showed a missile high in the sky leaving a trail of white smoke, whereas other photos from state media showed no white smoke, suggesting the two photos were of different missiles with different propulsion systems, Schiller and Schmucker said.
Kim Jong Un is just one big puffer fish it seems...
Reports indicate that North Korean submarines designed to operate in warm climates include screen doors.
Where are the Freeper photo shop masters?
Just rike Daddy
Didn't your daddy ever tell you not to smoke near ballistic missiles.
I guess I am conflicted on this story.
Who are we to believe, NBC News? Known liars and manipulators of the news. North Korea? Known liars and manipulators of the news.
“Who are we to believe, NBC News? Known liars and manipulators of the news. North Korea? Known liars and manipulators of the news.”.......
SOOOOOOOOOOO many and so little time.
Why doesn’t someone on that NK boat just push Fat Boy overboard? It would have been so easy.
Bkmrk.
NK is really bad at photoshop...
They have plenty of practice.
Someone will stand in front of that missile for this!
Edges of the exhaust cloud are too sharp on the right near the top, too soft/blended on the lower left.
Sea surface too calm, no wave/spray from forcing the missile and gas bubble through it? Come on...
Exhaust cloud too dirty. Even if they were using an ugly gas generator... This looks like an exhaust and debris plume from a ground based launch.
Just what I see in 2 min, before coffee.
Our leader does the same thing and gets away with it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.