You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
China-Japan-Koreas
U.S. sends THAAD to Guam
2013-04-04
Follow-up, confirms the timing. This will be over before the system is up and running on Guam. Keep us posted, Joe M!
WASHINGTON/SEOUL, April 3 -- The United States announced Wednesday it is sending an advanced ballistic missile defense system to the western Pacific, as North Korea's military said it received final approval for a nuclear attack.
The good news is that it takes the Norks quite a while to arm up, fuel up and otherwise prepare a big liquid-fueled IRBM/ICBM. So we should have some warning.
"The Department of Defense will deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) Ballistic Missile Defense system to Guam in the coming weeks as a precautionary move to strengthen our regional defense posture against the North Korean regional ballistic missile threat," the Pentagon said in yet another unusual announcement of the deployment of such a strategic weapon.

"This deployment will strengthen defense capabilities for American citizens in the U.S. Territory of Guam and U.S. forces stationed there," the Pentagon said in a press release.

The THAAD system is a land-based missile defense system that includes a truck-mounted launcher, a complement of interceptor missiles, an advanced tracking radar, and an integrated fire control system.
Posted by:Steve White

#2  Ona separate note, as per ABM-BMD the US should also protect the CNMI's Saipan, Rota + Tinian islands, + Iwo Jima, as these have Airfields + Harbors that the PLA may find useful.

One of the big mistakes Japanese Adm. Yamamoto made after the Pearl harbor attack was in NOT immediately invading the Hawaiian islands, iff only in part + to deny use of Pearl Harbor + Big Island, etc. to the US. Yamamoto should've attacked Pearl again or conquered nearby islands to use as Japanese bases for land-based Airpower + Submarines to isolate Pearl + other. CHINA MAY OR MAY NOT MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE VEE THE MARIANAS.

AFAIK Saipan only has a small unit of local US Army Reserve to protect its large Airport + Tanapag Harbor - Tinian + its Airfields, Harbor only has individual US Army Reserve whom must travel to Saipan for any organized unit training.
IFF GUAM PROVES TOO DIFFICULT OR PROBLEMATIC, THE MOTHERLY COMMIE/PLA AIRBORNE MAY DECIDE TO STRIKE THE CNMI IN LIEU OF GUAM.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2013-04-04 02:09  

#1  FREEREPUBLIC Artic says a DPRK "MUSUDAN" BM has been spotted being moved to the coasts - presum that it doesn't blow up on the launch pad or in flight phase the Missle M-I-G-H-T be able to strike Nippon + ROK + [drum roll iff you please, Johnson] Taiwan.

"Mahanist" China = Guam, etc. islands is needed for PLA projection of power, hence IMO use of a strategic Nuke by China to wholly destroy Guam is unlikely or at worst an absolutely last resort in case Obama refuses to surrender or make concessions. IMO THE MOST REALISTIC THREAT TO GUAM IS CONVENTIONAL, I.E. SUB-LED COMMANDO/SPECOPS FOLLOWED BY MASSIVE AIRBORNE ASSAULT + LR HEAVY BOMBING. EMP DETONATION(S) IN THE SKIES OVER GUAM IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

China wants "sole" overseas PLA MIlbases so that means Pacific Islands like Guam may be attacked + damaged, but NOT destroyed, or made protractively or prohibitively radioactive.

Unless China is willing to delay or amend its "post-US" future World #1 "Manifest Destiny" a Sino-US or "Great Power" confrontation + mil conflict in Asia-Pacific may be inevitable - EITHER CHINA UNILATERALLY CONCEDES, OR THE US UNILATERALLY CONCEDES.

Poor North Korea + Pudgy, even South Korea, is caught smack in the middle of China's global ambitions to succeed = takeover from the US.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2013-04-04 01:53  

00:00