If they launch the missle, how far do you think we (the USA!) would let the missle travel before we shoot it out of the sky ?
2006-06-21 13:37:30 · 23 answers · asked by phantomknight70 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
mid pacific. i would doubt the USA would let that missle get anywhere near our shores
2006-06-21 13:41:06 · answer #1 · answered by adam 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, there aren't 3 carrier groups to put off the Korean Peninsula.
Second, has there ever been a successful test fire of this missile? No
They have done some testing of the engines but that's about it. They've been cursed with bad luck.
However, they have launched a Taepo Dong-1 on one occasion to put a satellite into space. It launched then crashed and burned. It didn't have the range of the 2 but it showed they could possibly have a good launch of a 3 stage missile.
But, if it occurs it will be the first launch which are generally never successful.
The U.S. won't shoot it down because of the political implications. Politics rules as we all know. Also, even old Kim isn't dumb enough to launch it at us. The people more afraid (with good reason) are probably the Japanese.
2006-06-21 21:12:49 · answer #2 · answered by gobsagoo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fox News (consider the source) reports that we are moving 3 carrier groups off the Korean Peninsula to "watch" for the missile launch.
This threat is more imminent than the government is letting on.
The one thing that I keep pondering is, would it serve their interest to go ahead and hit us with a nuclear missile if they have it? They know that if they just launch a test missile they are at least going to face heavy sanctions and at worst maybe an air strike that would cripple their ability to fight on the ground. I have seen some people on here claim that they do not have a nuclear warhead but wasn't our intelligence wrong about Iraq's weapons capabilities?
2006-06-21 20:48:22 · answer #3 · answered by 3rd parties for REAL CHANGE 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
According to the news, if the missle was launched at the United States, they believe it would reach mid-America, around Illinois.
It has also been said that the powers that be are already on it and will be making sure that this doesn't happen. I have trust in our government and believe that they have their eye on the situation.
2006-06-21 21:14:32 · answer #4 · answered by IrishKerry13 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, we probably won't have to. True, they launched the TD1 over Japan, but they are much closer geographically. The western edges of Alaska are the only areas even at risk of being hit by a TD2. Hawaii is out of range, and so is California.
If we had a really good system to do it with, we might do it as early in the missile's flight as possible as more of a political statement than anything. But we don't have one.
Read my posting from December 2004:
http://homepage.mac.com/jmkolenc/iblog/C1538924738/E406362827/index.html
Sure, enough time has gone by to make this a mute point, but with G.W. at the helm, do you really think much has changed?
2006-07-03 13:46:30 · answer #5 · answered by OneMadSquid 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They only system currently deployed that is capable of intercepting an ICBM (N. Korea's Taepodong II is barely an ICBM) is the Patriot missile and it is a point defense system, meaning it's range is very limited due to the difficulties involved in intercepting ballistic missiles (high velocity, near-vertical trajectory). Interception could only occur very close to where the Patriots are placed (California and Alaska, I think). Taepodong II is basically a Scud medium range artillery missile with boosters to allow it to have a greatly extended range. It's payload at intercontinental ranges would be tiny and the Scud is notoriously inaccurate.
2006-07-03 06:51:57 · answer #6 · answered by oldseadog54 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
North Korea is in the same boat as India and Pakistan... they might have warheads, but they (none of them) have the propulsion systems to be an intercontinental threat. Don't worry too much; China has there eye on Korea. China wants to be a world economic power and they'll never be accepted if they stayed as an exteremly militant military power. Politics.
2006-07-03 16:37:58 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The threat is that this particular missile will be able to reach the United States. North Korea has no problem selling such technology to terrorists or third world countries for the right price. North Korea itself would never fire on us because they know we would retaliate three fold. But if they were to sell to a terrorist...
2006-06-21 20:45:56 · answer #8 · answered by Michael T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What makes you think that the USA could shoot the missile out of the sky?
2006-06-21 20:46:14 · answer #9 · answered by Ferret 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yea they're launching a missile, dont worry before it reaches the pacific coast ( near Hawaii) they're going to shoot it down but i dont think North Korea had that type of rocket fuel that can even reach to Hawaii
2006-07-01 09:31:20 · answer #10 · answered by hell_kimchi_ops 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋