a) North Korean intent to launch an intercontinential missile of this sort (though the North claims it will be an orbital satellite which is a lie) is a direct violation of the UN Security Council agreements, is a threat to Japan, and they will take now consider appropriate countermeasures against the DPRK and Kim Jong Un.
Further reports today Japanese Government convening strategy sessions and considering placement of PAC-III batteries within range of this southward-trajectory intended Taepodong 3 ICBM, to deal with this threat. Coordination no doubt is also taking place with US Forces Japan over this situation. Will attempt to get more.
PATRIOT PAC-3s are completely incapable of engaging an ICBM; they’d only be effective against a short to medium range missile, and in terminal defense (if the missile was fired at the specific site of the missile in Japan).
Aegis BMD is incapable of boost phase defense against an ICBM and again would only be effective against a missile that was at least approaching Japan so this is all a Japanese bluff, really, though I guess the story if fragmentary.
If it is in fact an orbital launch, or a longe range ICBM test, there’s nothing the Japanese can intercept the missile with.
Thank you. Keep us posted, AIT
Yeah, let's hold off on taking any of this as gospel truth just yet.
Obama will say to Japan. “Just wait until after the election”.
Shit is about to hit the fan with China, Iran, north Korea, and Syria!!! Time to reinstate the draft. Welcome tothe the party bi#$hes!! Time to send your sons to combat something the rest of us have been enduring for the last 21eleven years. When shit hits the fan we will see who the real loyal Americans are. It will no longer be somebody else’s son or daughter serving if war with Korea/China breaks out.
Pfl.
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.
Mike
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.
Sounds like a TOO (Target of Opportunity). Great chance to get some real world testing done, cheap.
A couple of things are worth noting here with respect to the Japanese reports of earlier today, now that I have read them more in full. They state that if the DPRK ICBM launch comes anywhere “near threatening Japanese territory”, or “towards Japanse territory”, then they will consider shooting it down in an act of self defense for Japan, which they are fully authorized to do now under Japan Defense Ministry rules of engagement guidelines which are in place and are Constitutional (under the coverage of “act of self defense”), i.e. they do not conflict with General MacArthur’s “Article 9”. Tokyo made such statements in April of 2009 when the North also launched a Taepodong 2 over Japan. They are particularly looking for any missile launched “at” or “toward” Japanese terittory. Any missile or part of same which came near Japan and was within striking distance either by the PAC-3 or the AEGIS destroyers, could theoretically be taken down. The discussions are starting internally, by the Ministry of Defense as well as the Foreign Ministry, in advance of this possible launch, and so that there are no surpises. Where and when to deploy such systems is not yet decided. Of course considering on the altitude and speech of an ascending missile, hitting it with commonly known Japanese arsenal would be difficult, I would imagine that even if successful, certainly US military and Japanese Self Defense would keep it hushed up, but Chinese naval forces in the Pacific Ocean operating in the area of Ryukyu Islands or elsewhere might pick up such an action and pass it to the North Koreans. North Korean direct intelligence in that region of the Pacific is extremely limited and so would be their grasp of the details of one of there missiles being met by MD system. It is obviously talk to put additional pressure on the North Koreans, but there was a similiar case two years ago, where Obama stated he would NOT instruct US military to shoot down such a missile, and from that point on, I feel the Japanese defense establishment knows they are on their own vs North Korea and that the long alliance with the US is very shaky under this Obama individual. Yes, many, many people in the know and in senior positions strongly hope for a defeat of Obama in November and complete reshuffling and cleaning out of the US DOD, State Department, intelligence and other agencies, with the curren office holders and policy makers in DC, probably not a few of them actual national security risks working behind closed, security cleared limited access areas.
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2012/03/17/0401000000AEN20120317001200315.HTML
Don’t know if this has been reported yet, but the launch date is scheduled for April 15th.
The missile would reach an altitude of about 100km when over Japan, so unlikely their ABM system would work.
NK considers a launch to be an SLV (space launch vehicle) rather than a LRBM (long range ballistic missile). NK has a point here as they are signatories to the Outer Space Treaty that allows all countries unfettered access to outer space:
Outer Space Treaty, Article 1 wording: “Outer space … shall be free for exploration and use by all States without discrimination of any kind, on a basis of equality …”. Both US and DPRK are parties to the Outer Space Treaty.
North Korea does not consider space-launch rockets to be missile weapons, neither does Israel.......
