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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| U.S. improves ability to hit N.Korean missiles: general |
| 2009-06-04 |
| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has fine-tuned its ability to shoot down long-range missiles that could be launched by North Korea based on a trio of tests mimicking such an attack, the head of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency said Tuesday. "We have made adjustments to give ourselves even higher confidence, even though we have intercepted three out of three times in that scenario," Army Lieutenant General Patrick O'Reilly told a missile-defense conference at the Pentagon's National Defense University. O'Reilly, in response to a question, said U.S. ability to hit a specific spot on the target missile had improved "dramatically" during the tests. The last test simulating a North Korean attack took place December 5. "So, do I think it is likely that you're going to intercept if somebody launches out of there?" he said. "Yes, I do. And the basis is those three tests and what we know about that threat." Any decision to try to knock out a missile launched by Pyongyang would be made by U.S. national command authorities headed by President Barack Obama. I think I've found the glitch in the system. Right between the chair and the South Korean media have reported that Pyongyang may this month test a missile designed to fly as far as U.S. soil. Last week, North Korea conducted a nuclear test, test-fired a barrage of short-range missiles and threatened to attack the South, raising tension to one of its highest levels since the 1950-53 Korean War. The North appears to be preparing to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile with an estimated range of 2,500-4,000 miles from a west coast base, the daily JoongAng Ilbo has cited South Korean intelligence sources as saying. Pressed to quantify the extent of his confidence in a successful shootdown using U.S. ground-based interceptor missiles, O'Reilly stopped short of saying this was "highly" likely. "I'm not going to let you put words in my mouth," he said. "Because I don't know the definition between 'highly' and 'likely.' But, yes, I do believe it's likely we're going to have a successful intercept against that capability based on the data I've seen." The sole U.S. bulwark against long-range ballistic missiles is a network of interceptors based in underground silos since 2004 in Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Boeing Co. is the prime contractor of the system, known as the ground-based midcourse defense. Top subcontractors include Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon Co. and Orbital Sciences Corp. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #9 Question is - with a missle coming our way - would Ralm and his other minders let a crisis go to waste? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-06-04 22:58 |
| #8 SAME > IIUC FRENCH MEDIAS: US THINK-TANKS BELIEVE F-22 "RAPTORS" CAN BE USED TO DESTROY CHINA'S STRATEGIC MISSLES, THREE GORGES DAMS VIA "DEEP STRIKE" MISSIONS INSIDE CHINA; + SECOND KOREAN WAR: US SECDEF GATES BELIEVES US MAY NEED TO SEND 10 ARMY BRIGADES TO FIGHT NORTH KOREA. US DOES NOT KNOW WHERE IT WILL GET SUCH MANPOWER. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-06-04 22:48 |
| #7 OTOH, WORLD MILITARY FORUM > IIUC RUSSIAN MEDIAS: NORTH KOREA IS VERY CUNNING. MOVES ICBMS TO EAST-RI MAIN ICBM/HEAVY TESTFAC CLOSE TO CHINESE BORDER CITY LOCATED ONLY 60 KMS AWAY [Sinuiji/Tieshan-ri County]. Artic and others indic that MUSUDAN-RI'S WEST COAST TESFACS ARE CONSIDERED ANTIQUATED BY NOKOR, AND USED ONLY FOR MEDIUM-OR-LIGHT MISLTESTS??? ALso from WMF > IIUC AUY KYI LAKE INCIDENT: SINO-US STRUGGLE BEGINS/UNDERWAY IN MYANMAR. CHINA DESIRES TO AVOID ITS HISTORICAL MISTAKES WITH NORTH KOREA [Vassal-Buffer State]. US TRIES TO PROTECT INDIA BY REDUCING CHINA'S RISING MILITARY, ECONOMIC INFLUENCE. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-06-04 22:43 |
| #6 "Ground Zero" hehe. |
| Posted by: GirlThursday 2009-06-04 18:59 |
| #5 If there is a missile heading this way and he does not attempt to destroy it, he becomes ground zero. Impeachment would be just a formality. He understands that fact but would never admit it. |
| Posted by: Skunky Glins 5*** 2009-06-04 18:43 |
| #4 With Obambi the jury is out on what his verdict would be. Given an actual missile in the not too distant future? As the missile is flying through the air....Bambi takes out a fountain pen and makes a list of pros and cons using his lawyerly training.....tick tock... In the minus column, having the US nearly struck by a missile is bad for business... Hmm, well I umm guess we should shoot it down. As if there was ever any other alternative. |
| Posted by: GirlThursday 2009-06-04 17:37 |
| #3 Alas, he's already made his decision. |
| Posted by: Kelly 2009-06-04 13:55 |
| #2 Somebody would have to program the teleprompter before O makes a decision. |
| Posted by: Spot 2009-06-04 11:57 |
| #1 We should not, unless we absolutely have to, use our best systems against any Nork missile. Instead, we should use the oldest effective technology we have. If it doesn't work, the closer it gets, the higher tech we get. Their missile will likely fail on its own, in any event. The US had boucoup missiles fail before we got a successful test, and we still have a respectably high overkill we have to use because of failures. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2009-06-04 10:49 |