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News North Korea fires missile over Japan

thomas

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Yesterday, North Korea fired an IRBM across northern Japan; it was the longest test shot ever and the first time since 2017 that a missile crossed the Japanese archipelago.

The first launch over Japan in five years is part of a clear escalation by the isolated nation ahead of the Chinese Communist Party's congress later this month and U.S. midterm elections in November. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the medium-range missile was fired at 7:23 a.m. from Mupyeong-ri in northern Chagang province and travelled about 4,500 kilometres with a maximum altitude of 970 km, the JCS said. Japan's Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the missile passed over the northern Tohoku region and flew 4,600 km -- the longest horizontal distance for a projectile launched by the country. Jeffrey Lewis, a professor with expertise in East Asia nonproliferation at the U.S.-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, tweeted: "Based on the range, apogee and flight time, the North Korea missile was a Hwasong-12 IRBM."

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The ensuing missile alert shocked northern Japan, where trains were stopped.








North Korea's firing of a ballistic missile, which crossed over Japan on Tuesday for the first time in five years, is likely to compel Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to contemplate how to tackle military provocations by Pyongyang. As the two Asian countries do not maintain diplomatic relations, it is believed Tokyo has not had contact with Pyongyang for years, given that they have been at odds over the unresolved abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. Japanese lawmakers lambasted the latest missile launch by North Korea, with Toshimitsu Motegi, the secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, saying Japan needs to beef up its defence capabilities.

 
I wonder what would happen if they shot down the next one? It would be interesting to see the reaction from North Korea and China.
Perhaps that capability is in place but they don't want to show their hand in response to test fires.
 
I wonder what would happen if they shot down the next one? It would be interesting to see the reaction from North Korea and China.
Perhaps that capability is in place but they don't want to show their hand in response to test fires.

I'm pretty sure Japan possesses the necessary technology to shoot them down but might be hesitant because of debris, unknown payload, political implications, etc. There was another test reported Thursday morning. Watching the news on NK's missile tests feels a bit like watching the weather forecast: "Today, again 80% chance of high-flying missiles from westerly directions..."
 
I wonder what would happen if they shot down the next one? It would be interesting to see the reaction from North Korea and China.
Perhaps that capability is in place but they don't want to show their hand in response to test fires.
We Japanese wait until we get hit before we react. Plus, we worry about the political fallout because we are stupid.
 
US aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan returns to the Sea of Japan. Plus all its other support and safety craft escorting it. Doesn't look to friendly on the sea of Japan now. Plus the rocket from N. Korea landed in S. Korea.
 
I'm pretty sure Japan possesses the necessary technology to shoot them down but might be hesitant because of debris, unknown payload, political implications, etc. There was another test reported Thursday morning. Watching the news on NK's missile tests feels a bit like watching the weather forecast: "Today, again 80% chance of high-flying missiles from westerly directions..."
Japan has anti-missile tech. They were one of the big drivers behind the Aegis BMD. They're developing an ASEV that's going to be a big bastard, with a small crew. They're expected to be similar in size to an Izumo DDH. That will put her at close to 700 feet long, 131 feet wide, with a 20,000 ton standard displacement (Izumo comes in at 284 meters, 19,500 tons displacement). She'll only have a crew of 110, with each crew member getting their own cabin, instead of group berthing. She'll be equipped with SPY-7 radar, SM-6 missiles, as well as an improved Type 12 ship to ship missile. The BMD ships will be freed up from having to watch North Korea for other missions.
 
At this point wouldn't you feel uncomfortable if this wasn't happening? I mean it's like when you don't feel an earthquake for a while you get nervous that something is building up. Similarly there's something comforting about the PRK sending missiles over Japan every few years. No? :p
Actually I was there in 1998 the first time they flew a missile over Japan. At the time I didn't really think much about it. Too busy living the Tokyo life.
 
At this point wouldn't you feel uncomfortable if this wasn't happening? I mean it's like when you don't feel an earthquake for a while you get nervous that something is building up. Similarly there's something comforting about the PRK sending missiles over Japan every few years. No? :p
Actually I was there in 1998 the first time they flew a missile over Japan. At the time I didn't really think much about it. Too busy living the Tokyo life.
Not too worried. Japan and the US at Yokota Air Base is the intelligence headquarter for Asia since the Vietnam days. USAF Veteran at Yokota during the Vietnam War time. ( in 1970's )
 
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If he farts, the intelligence community can tell you what time and what he ate.nkmd.jpg
 
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