N. Korea: Taepodong-2 Launch Failure - What Really Happened(new version)

Chosun Ilbo ^ | 07/18/06 | Yoo Yong-won

[TigerLikesRooster]

Taepodong-2 Launch Failure: What Really Happened

/begin my excerpt

There is another interesting development. Up to now, it has been reported that, 42 seconds after its launch, (N. Korea's) Taepodong-2 missile (1) exploded in mid-air  or (2) veered off its intended flight path, and continue to fly for another 7 minutes, covering 499km. However, more careful investigation showed that, it developed some problem 29 seconds after the launch,  smoke came out from some parts of the missile, it veered off its flight path, flying in a spiral path, and finally ending in the complete explosion, 42 seconds after the launch, blowing up into pieces. As a result, many of its debris fell near Munsudan-ri site where it was launched.

This account is significantly different from the report by (ROK) Military Intelligence Chief that  the missile veered off its intended flight path, and continue to fly for another 7 minutes, covering 499km. How he came up with such a story could become a source of controversy.

/end my excerpt

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[johnny7]

Sooooo... what are you implying Tiger?

[gusopol3]

good news when contrasted with that Russian assessment which stated it had gone the direction it was supposed to, etc., just not as far.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Cheap Cuban-made parts, no doubt.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #3

Just trying to provide clarified picture of what happened. It seems that S. Korean intel, unable to get sensitive information from US and Japan(who suspects that there are commie-friendly moles in S. Korea,) got intel provided by Russia. The sad picture of intel situation in S. Korea. They have to beg for information to Russians.

A report of 10 missile launches and another one that missile flying for another 7 min. were made by S. Korea, but later it turned out that Russia made the same claims. Since S. Korea does not have assets to collect all details of the missile launches, I suspect that they just got it from Russians.

[Marius3188]

Someone was probably using a cell phone or a microwave too close to the Taepodong-2 launch site.

I don't think you can use your cell phone next to a Taepodong, unless you live in West Virginia and are both consenting adults.

[So Cal Rocket]

Airborne Laser (ABL)

Overview

The Airborne Laser (ABL) will locate and track missiles in the boost phase of their flight, then accurately point and fire the high-energy laser, destroying enemy missiles near their launch areas.

Capabilities:

• Operates autonomously, above the clouds, outside the range of threat weapons but sufficiently close to enemy territory
• Engages early, destroying ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight over launch area
• Cues and tracks targets, communicating with other joint theater assets for layered defense system

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Why would ROK provide cover for NK ?

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #10

Because that is a policy of the government filled with typical leftwing campus activists types. They have the ingrained reflex that U.S. is the source of all evils in S. Korea and N. Korea is just a maligned victim, who needs S. Kroea's help. It is rather disheartening how little they grew up.

[johnny7]

That was my hunch....

[ezsmoke]

Please add me to your ping list, thank you.

[mad_as_he$$]

Nice idea but it is currently not mission capable and is in for major retrofit after successful SMALL scale test. Basically they got a laser pointer to go where they wanted to when they wanted it to. Small but very significant step.

[norwaypinesavage]

"The Airborne Laser (ABL) will locate and track missiles in the boost phase of their flight"

Since we have these on land, and now in the air, why wouldn't we have them on ships?

[Tallguy]

Since we have these on land, and now in the air, why wouldn't we have them on ships?

Just a guess, but the density & humidity of the atmosphere at sea-level might disperse the laser energy through refractivity. Shooting at a target from an aircraft above the cloud layer, where the atmosphere is less dense, would simplify the task.

[noname07718]

Also, you can't rule out the damage of having all of that liquid fuel in the rocket and standing upright for almost a month. You can't have that type of a lite structured assembly storing all of that weight for that length of time. The stresses on the structure are enormous. A liquid fueled vehicle should be "Launce ready" for a matter of hours; not weeks.

[CWW]

Sounds like a limp dong to me!

[joe fonebone]

no, cheap CHINESE made parts.........just check out the local wal mart to see how cheaply the chinese can make stuff....... :)

[joe fonebone]

that one may not be.........but 3 years ago, a tank mounted one shot down a number of missiles in the arizona desert.....i would imagine if you could put it on a tank, that it is already in place on destroyers.......... don't we have a few destroyers floating around the sea of japan?