Posted on 07/02/2018 12:31:55 AM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
North Korea has continued to produce support equipment and launchers for one of its newer ballistic missiles through the first half of 2018, according to a recent U.S. military intelligence assessment described to The Diplomat by U.S. government officials.
According to a recent assessment released by the U.S. National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), which analyzes intelligence regarding ballistic missile threats for the U.S. Air Force, North Korea has continued to produce vehicles and support equipment for its Pukguksong-2/KN15 medium-range ballistic missile in 2018.
While production of launch vehicles—known as transporter-erector-launchers, or TELs—and support equipment has continued through the first half of 2018, North Korea has likely not produced additional Pukguksong-2 missiles, the assessment notes. North Korea may have produced as many as ten TELs for the Pukguksong-2.
In June 2017, a public NASIC assessment assessed the Pukguksong-2’s range at in excess of 1,000 kilometers. According to that assessment, the missile was not yet deployed then even though North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared it operational after its second flight test in May 2017.
The missile’s range would leave it best suited for use against targets in Japan, including U.S. military installations on Japan’s four main islands and Okinawa.
The Pukguksong-2 was the first North Korean ballistic missile to feature an indigenously designed and built integrated transporter-erector-launcher with continuous tracks that allow it to conduct launches from unpaved roads and other rough terrain.
This two-stage, solid-fuel missile—first flight-tested in February 2017 and once again in May 2017—is a land-based version of North Korea’s Pukguksong-1/KN11 submarine-launched ballistic missile. (EXERPT)
The real question here is Have they been moving forward since June 12, 2018? Which was the date of the Trump-Kim Jong-un summit.
I will say I am disappointed that no remains have been repatriated. It seemed like that was going to start immediately, then nothing.
Of course it does. To me, the state department doesn’t have any more credibility than the FBI, or DOJ. There are probably a bunch of Obama hold overs, that I wouldn’t trust at all, and others I probably would. I think there is a lot of swamp left to be drained. I hope Pompeo and Trump can continue to drain it.
I am confident that Bolton, Pompeo, and Mattis will not conclude any deal with NK that cannot be verified and enforced. Trump will walk away and double down on the sanctions if he believes Kim is playing games.
In the meantime, reports such as this one, should not be cause for alarm. Trump and his team are not Clinton, Albright, Carter, et. al. Except for the postponement of joint military training exercises with South Korea, there have been no concessions upfront. Let’s allow the nascent negotiations to continue without making premature judgments or unfounded expectations.
I have confidence in the Trump team. No deal is better than a bad deal. We should look at Trump’s actions on Iran, TPP, Paris Climate Agreement, NAFTA, etc. to understand how he approaches deals and negotiations. Stay tuned.
Pretty much. The usual deep state and the media striving hard to sabotage Preside Trump’s rapprochement with the North Koreans. Nothing to see here. Move on.
The State Department have some of the most rabid deep state operatives in the business. I have very little confidence in anything they produce.
Trump Should send them a letter asking him how many pieces he would like this factory bombed into?
First half of 2018? You mean like the time before the summit? How do you spend so much time trying to stab Trump in the back?
Is this Obama leftovers?
Distrust of the state department? Absolutely 100% yes. If the US state department said the sun was rising in the East I would walk outside to double-check. That’s a bunch of communist islamist homosexuals and traitors and globalist the world has never seen the likes of.
In fact, I’ve never heard anybody stand up and defend the US State Department. Would you happen to be one of them? I know a lot of State Department people got their nose bent out of shape because they didn’t like the way Trump negotiated. He didn’t use state to do the normal Summit pageantry.
President Trump Says North Korea Has Returned the Remains of 200 U.S. Soldiers
It doesn’t appear to have actually happened.
Keep giving Fat Boy rope...
Well stated. Where did you come up with that little gem? It has a feel of being famous.
Dont leave out BOLTON
I see you persist in posting fake news about the Norks, with sources of ever decreasing credibility and ever increasing obscurity ... what is this now, about the tenth fake article you’ve posted about this?
and no, the “source” here isn’t the USAF, but some bullshit site called thediplomat ... which fakes that their “source” is USAF ...
both, think its a game, not to trump..korea will change or be destroyed during the trump potus era
Do you think they are telling the truth?
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