Tag: missiles

North Korea Fires Three Nodongs Towards Japan As G-20 Meets In China

| September 6, 2016

I would think the Chinese would not be too happy with the North Koreans trying to draw attention away from the G-20 Summit they are currently hosting, but obviously the Kim regime cares little about what the Chinese think:

North Korea on Monday fired three medium-range missiles that traveled about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and landed near Japan in an apparent show of force timed to coincide with the Group of 20 economic summit in China, South Korean officials said.

North Korea has staged a series of recent missile tests with increasing range, part of a program that aims to eventually build long-range nuclear missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

Such tests are fairly common when international attention is turned to Northeast Asia, and this one came as world leaders gathered in eastern China for the G-20 summit of advanced and emerging economies. China is North Korea’s only major ally, but ties between the neighbors have frayed amid a string of North Korean nuclear and missile tests and what many outsiders see as other provocations in recent years.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the three ballistic missiles, all believed to be Rodongs, were launched from the western North Korean town of Hwangju and flew across the country before splashing into the sea.  [Associated Press]

You can read more at the link, but all these missile launches do is further justify South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s decision to deploy the THAAD missile defense system to the ROK against Chinese objections.

Japan To Intercept Any North Korean Missiles Landing In Their EEZ

| August 10, 2016

After North Korea fired a missile last week that landed in their EEZ I wondered if they were going to take measures to prevent this in the future.  It looks like they will:

japan flag

Japan has ordered its Self-Defense Forces to intercept and destroy incoming flying objects after North Korea fired a ballistic missile last week that landed in Tokyo’s exclusive economic zone. The command issued on Monday is to apply to all incoming projectiles, South Korean news service Newsis reported. The directive is to be in effect for the next three months. But according to Japanese press reports the command is to be updated every three months, signifying the policy is more than a temporary measure designed to respond to North Korea provocations.  [UPI]

You can read more at the link, but to defend water the Japanese would have to rely on their Aegis ships equipped with SM-3 missiles which would mean ensuring always having one out at sea to support a missile defense mission.  That is likely why after three months this decision will be reviewed because there is probably better things these sailors could be doing than sailing in circles for three months if the North Koreans are no longer firing into their EEZ.

ROK Government Estimates Cost of North Korea’s Nuclear and Missile Programs

| July 30, 2016

This just goes to show that all the aid money and tourism dollars that people give to North Korea helps provide the necessary funding to continue these programs:

north korea nuke

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is believed to have spent at least 110 billion won ($97 million) firing a total of 31 ballistic missiles over the past five years, according to data from the Ministry of National Defense, Wednesday.

Kim has fired 16 Scud short-range ballistic missiles, six Rodong medium-range ballistic missiles, six Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) and three submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) since he inherited the totalitarian state from his father Kim Jong-il in late 2011, the data showed.

The number of missiles the young leader has launched over the last five years nearly doubled compared to the 16 fired during his father’s 18-year rule.

Ministry and military observers believe that Kim has apparently spent at least 110 billion won on the launches, based on the estimated prices of each missile.

The price of a Scud or a Rodong is estimated at about 1 billion won to 2 billion won each, while a Musudan is estimated to cost about 3 billion won to 6 billion won. The price of an SLBM, which is still under development, is estimated at about 5 billion won to 10 billion won.

The ministry said the total expenses for the missile launches would have exceeded 110 billion won if labor costs had been added.

If the two nuclear tests conducted under the younger Kim’s leadership are taken into consideration, the estimated expenses would be in the hundreds of billions of won, the ministry added. [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link, but like I have always said; anyone that is pro-engagement with North Korea also must support Kim Jong-un’s nuclear and missile programs because the two are not exclusive of each other.

North Korean Commander of Strategic Forces Removed After Multiple Missile Test Failures

| May 11, 2016

In the least surprising news of the day, the North Korean military commander responsible for their ballistic missile program has been removed after repeated failures of their Musudan and submarine launched ballistic missiles:

The North Korean military commander responsible for the country’s recent botched missile launches was removed from the ruling party’s central military commission, the results of the party congress showed Tuesday.

The name of Gen. Kim Rak-gyom, the chief commander of the North Korean military’s strategic forces in charge of missile operations, was omitted when the North released the list of the reshuffled Central Military Commission at the closure of the congress of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.

Along with Kim, other officials were let go, which caused a downsizing of the commission to a 12-member body.

South Korean military officials said the move may have been punishment for the back-to-back failures of the Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

“We are paying close attention to the exclusion of strategic forces commander Kim Rak-gyom from the Central Military Commission,” one official here said. “We need to study further personnel decisions, but the likelihood is that Kim may have been held accountable for (the failed launches).”  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link, but I would have to think that this has to be one of the least desirable command jobs in the North Korean military.

Report Claims that North Korea Has Deployed Musudan Missile for Test Launch

| April 15, 2016

This Yonhap report claims that the North Koreans currently have two Musudans deployed near Wonsan in preparation for a possible test fire this week.  This would be a significant test since the Musudan has never been tested before and is believed to have enough range to target Guam.  What would be even more provocative is if they fire this missile over Japan:

North Korea has deployed one or two Musudan mid-range ballistic missiles to near the eastern port city of Wonsan for a possible launch to mark its founding father’s birthday this week, government sources said Thursday.

“North Korea has been detected to have deployed a Musudan missile(s) in the vicinity of Wonsan’s Hodo Peninsula,” one source told Yonhap News Agency.

“After deploying them some 20 days ago, the North has not withdrawn them,” the source said. “Given the fact, North Korea is likely to venture a launch on the occasion of Kim Il-sung’s birthday.”

On Friday, North Korea marks the 104th birthday of the late North Korean founder and leader Kim Il-sun.

The North has celebrated the “Day of the Sun” with elaborate military events in the past, with experts predicting that the event for this year will be marked with a ballistic missile launch.

Other military sources said the missile or the missiles were loaded onto a transporter-erector-launcher or TEL, a mobile missile launcher.

If the launch takes place, it will be North Korea’s first test-launch of the intermediate-range ballistic missile also known as BM-25.

With a range of up to 4,000 kilometers, the missile could fly over South Korea and Japan to reach as far as Guam, where United States military forces are stationed.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link.

Should There Be Concern About North Korea Shooting Down An Airliner?

| April 3, 2016

The North Korean shooting down an airliner with an anti-aircraft missile has always been something I have been concerned about.  Could you imagine what that would do to air traffic to Incheon International Airport?  It would basically shut off all air travel to Incheon for who knows how long which would have huge economic impacts for South Korea.  This is why I have never been a huge fan of where the international airport was constructed.  However, shooting down an airliner would be a huge provocation that could trigger a military response in retaliation, so I think the Kim regime would try and shoot down a military aircraft before trying something like this.  Shooting down a military aircraft is something they have done before and in recent years have deployed their SA-5s along the DMZ to threaten ROK aircraft.  The North Koreans just test fired an anti-aircraft missile which makes me wonder if they are trying to signal something to South Korea that they best watch their aircraft?:

SA-5 anti-aircraft missile.

North Korea on Friday launched a surface-to-air missile into waters off its east coast, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, a move seen as a show of defiance against mounting pressure to give up its nuclear program.

The North fired off the anti-aircraft missile at around 12:45 p.m. from South Hamgyong Province in the country’s northeastern area. The missile was fired toward the East Sea, according to the JCS.

It said that the military is on high alert amid heighten cross-border tensions following the North’s nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch in February.

Seoul, earlier thought the North fired a ballistic missile, but on close examination of the trajectory picked up by its radar said it was a surface-to-air missile. The missile flew some 100 kilometers.

The North’s provocation came as President Park Geun-hye held a three-way summit with her counterparts from the United States and Japan on Thursday in Washington to discuss how to deal with the North’s nuclear weapons program.

Park warned of additional tougher sanctions against North Korea if the communist country carries out another provocation.

Also on Friday, South Korea’s defense ministry said that the North is continuing to jam GPS signals in South Korea in an attempt to raise tensions on the peninsula.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link.