#1 AFAIK this rocket is once again intended to land near the Philippines, unfortunately whose new ex-HAMILTON-CLASS US hand-me-down Cutters [2 tote]don't possess any ABM/BMD capabilities. SOMEONE HAS TO SHOOT IT DOWN IFF A MALFUNCTION BECAUSE THE PHILIPPINES CAN'T.
* INDIAN DEFENCE FORUM > NORTH KOREA MAY CHANGE ROCKET LAUNCH WINDOW.
* RELATED TOPIX > NORTH KOREA MAY DELAY PLANNED ROCKET LAUNCH, TECHNICAL PROBLEMS SUSPECTED.
versus
* TOPIX > REPORT - NORTH KOREA REPLACING [defective] ROCKET STAGE, LIKELY TO [still] LAUNCH AS PLANNED, this December as scheduled.
FYI Japan is planning to keep its BMD-capable JMSDF surface ships on red/high alert to shoot down the DPRK's rocket as necessary.
Again, under Jong-un's predecessors the DPRK may NOT have been willing to appear "too successful" in the eyes of watchful overlord China as per any indigenous advanced Missle, Nuke Tests, etc. - IN THE PRESENT, DOES JONG-UN POSSESS THE GUMPTION TO DO WHAT BIG DADDY JONG-IL + FORBEARS COULD NOT DO, OR WOULD NOT DO, VEE MAINLAND CHINA = BEIJING???
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > PHILIPPINES NEEDS 48 FIGHTER JETS, SIX SUBMARINES, ANTI-SHIP CRUISE MISSLES: CNAS, vee China in South China Sea.
IMO Manila needs to recognize that the above is "JUST FOR STARTERS" AGZ CHINA - widout a strong, innovative, + stable Military-Industrial base of its own, + widout massive US-WEstern military assistance, it will take the PHIL many many decades just to unilater achieve MINIMAL = "SUFFICIENT" DETERRENCE agz China, e.g. agz China's "Coast Guard" = CMS fleet???
THE PHIL SHOULDN'T BE WANTING NEW TOYS IT CANNOT EITHER MAINTAIN OR SUPPORT. |
The South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command raised the alert level on the peninsula from Watchcon 3 to Watchcon 2 on Thursday as North Korea's rocket launch approaches.