Here is an interesting read from the Associated Press about what experts are saying about North Korea’s new ICBM:
This Nov. 29, 2017, image provided by the North Korean government on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, third from left, and what the North Korean government calls the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
North Korea released dozens of photos Thursday of the Hwasong-15, a new intercontinental ballistic missile it claims can reach any target in the continental United States. The photo dump, published in the paper and online editions of the ruling party’s official daily, is a goldmine for rocket experts trying to parse reality from bluster.
Their general conclusion is that it’s bigger, more advanced and comes with a domestically made mobile launcher that will make it harder than ever to pre-emptively destroy. But there’s a potentially major catch: it might not have the power to go much farther than the West Coast if it is loaded down with a real nuclear warhead, not a dummy like the one it carried in its test launch on Wednesday. [Associated Press]
You can read more at the link, but experts are skeptical that the North Koreans have miniaturized their nuclear warhead to a low enough weight to where this ICBM can deliver it to the US West Coast.
Their general conclusion is that it’s bigger, more advanced and comes with a domestically made mobile launcher that will make it harder than ever to pre-emptively destroy.
China gave the North Koreans a big enough truck to move an at least partially designed and manufactured Chinese missile around. Seems that China needs to more to stop Fatty, or at least do less to help him.
Flyingsword
7 years ago
Funny, just read an article that said the missile carried a exact replica dummy warhead, proving the missile can carry the payload weight. AP is fake news anyway…
blueberry muffin mix
7 years ago
If your enemy says he wants to kill you, believe that he wants to try.
And now li’l rocketman proved he is a “clear and present danger”, so he got Mattis on his tail. I’m not thinking that will prove to have been the smartest move.
But we’ll see. We have no idea what is planned for the norks.
“That’s a nice capital city you got there… be a shame if something happened to it…”
Domestically made? I remember reading an article saying they bought the trucks from China. Dual Use, the base unit was originally a lumber hauler:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-china-truck/north-korea-appeared-to-use-china-truck-in-its-first-claimed-icbm-test-idUSKBN19P1J3
China gave the North Koreans a big enough truck to move an at least partially designed and manufactured Chinese missile around. Seems that China needs to more to stop Fatty, or at least do less to help him.
Funny, just read an article that said the missile carried a exact replica dummy warhead, proving the missile can carry the payload weight. AP is fake news anyway…
If your enemy says he wants to kill you, believe that he wants to try.
And now li’l rocketman proved he is a “clear and present danger”, so he got Mattis on his tail. I’m not thinking that will prove to have been the smartest move.
But we’ll see. We have no idea what is planned for the norks.
“That’s a nice capital city you got there… be a shame if something happened to it…”