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http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/N_Korea_completing_large_rocket_pad_US_think_tank_999.html
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will strike any North Korean ballistic missile that threatens to hit Japan in the coming weeks after Pyongyang recently fired medium-range missiles, a government source said on Saturday.
Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera issued the order, which took effect on Thursday and runs through April 25, the day that marks the founding of North Korea's army, the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Following the order, meant "to prepare for any additional missile launches," a destroyer was dispatched to the Sea of Japan and will fire if North Korea launches a missile that Tokyo deems in danger of striking or falling on Japanese territory, the source said.
Tensions have been building between North Korea and its neighbors since Pyongyang - in an apparent show of defiance - fired two Rodong missiles on March 26, just as the leaders of Japan, South Korea and the United States were sitting down to discuss containing the North Korean nuclear threat.
That first firing in four years of mid-range missiles that can hit Japan followed a series of short-range rocket launches over the past two months. The Rodong ballistic missiles fell into the sea after flying 650 km (400 miles), short of a maximum range thought to be some 1,300 km, Japan said.
Since then, North Korea has rattled sabres by firing artillery rounds into South Korean waters, prompting the South to fire back; South Korea has test-fired a new ballistic missile with a range of 500 km; and Pyongyang has threatened an unspecified "new form" of nuclear test.
[snip]
Japan quietly deploys destroyer in response to N. Korea's missile launch
April 05, 2014
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
Japan sent a Maritime Self-Defense Force Aegis destroyer to patrol the Sea of Japan on April 3 in response to North Korea’s launch of two Rodong medium-range ballistic missiles on March 26.
Although Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera ordered the SDF to intercept any North Korean missile that threatens Japan, the central government did not publicly announce the deployment, reflecting Tokyo’s desire not to whip up hysteria ahead of the next round of talks slated with Pyongyang.
The interception order, based on the Self-Defense Force Law, will be effective through April 25, the 82nd anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army.
Based on the order, the SDF Aegis destroyer Kirishima, carrying Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) interceptors, is routinely patrolling the Sea of Japan under the guise of conducting military exercises.
In April last year, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government issued an interception order after North Korea deployed Musudan medium-range ballistic missiles and Rodong missiles. Although two Aegis destroyers were sent to patrol the Sea of Japan last year, the government sent only the Kirishima this year.
The government also decided not to deploy the surface-to-air guided Patriot PAC-3 missiles, which were installed last year in the compound of the Defense Ministry in central Tokyo.
The latest interception order is the fifth since 2009. All were issued to counter North Korean missile launches. Since Pyongyang did not issue an actual launch warning last year, Tokyo also held back announcing its interception order. But the Defense Ministry showed deployed PAC-3 missiles to the media in a show of its counter-missile preparedness.
The government proceeded with the deployment without fanfare this time and held back deploying PAC-3 missiles because it “wants to make necessary responses out of public view,” according to a government source.
Government officials have explained that efforts had been made “not to stir up public anxiety and give strong consideration to the diplomatic relations between Japan and North Korea.”
Japan and North Korea resumed official high-level talks in late March in Beijing, attended by bureau chiefs of their respective foreign ministries. Confidential, closed-door negotiations are also under way.
The Abe administration has set the settlement of the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korea as one of its primary political goals. It apparently does not want to irritate Pyongyang by playing up its counter-missile responses.
Meanwhile, neither Japan, South Korea nor the United States predicted the launch of the Rodong missiles on March 26. As of April 4, Japan had not detected any sign that Pyongyang is preparing another launch.
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
AFP
SEOUL (AFP-Jiji) — Washington and Seoul have postponed talks on deploying an advanced missile defense system opposed by Beijing, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday as China’s foreign minister was set to discuss North Korea with his U.S. counterpart.
The allies had been set to sign an agreement Tuesday on setting up a joint working group to look into the roll-out of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) against North Korea’s growing missile threat.
“The related accord is in the final stages but has been postponed by a day or two because of last-minute negotiations,” ministry spokesman Moon Sang Gyun said.
The THAAD system fires anti-ballistic missiles into the sky to smash into enemy missiles either inside or outside the Earth’s atmosphere during their final flight phase.
The interceptor missiles carry no warheads, instead relying on kinetic energy to destroy their targets.
More than two weeks ago, the allies announced their intention to begin talks on its deployment following Pyongyang’s long-range ballistic missile launch on Feb. 7 but negotiations to launch the Joint Working Group were protracted.
The delay comes as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was to visit Washington from Tuesday to meet his U.S. counterpart John Kerry for possible talks over the controversial defense system and North Korea.
China opposes the proposed deployment of THAAD, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying warning Monday that it should not be used as a front to “undermine China’s own legitimate [security] interests.
*sigh* Why do so many so-called "journalists" think that "controversial" is part of weapon systems names?Grey Havoc said:
Disagree with Beijing all you like, it doesn't make the controversy less real. It's news, warts and all.China, which has consistently opposed the plan, lodged a protest with the US and South Korean envoys.
*The* media don't exist. I would expect some South Korean media would label the decision not to deploy THAAD as very controversial indeed.fredymac said:For example, the media would not report a decision to NOT deploy THAAD as controversial.
"may be a matter of ambiguous wording" ... so subject to interpretation. The Chinese government hasfredymac said:In this particular example, the “controversial” description is applied directly to THAAD rather than the deployment in South Korea although this may be a matter of ambiguous wording.
The notoriously biased BBC is telling the world all missile defense systems are controversial, unproved, and provocative. Not my perception.fredymac said:It fits a narrative where all missile defense systems are controversial, unproved, and provocative.
fredymac said:From the article:
The US and South Korea have agreed to deploy a controversial missile defence system, in the wake of intensifying threats from North Korea.
It is the selective characterization of an issue as “controversial” that determines bias. All political issues are by nature controversial. The media only applies the description as it suits their own political views. For example, the media would not report a decision to NOT deploy THAAD as controversial.
In this particular example, the “controversial” description is applied directly to THAAD rather than the deployment in South Korea although this may be a matter of ambiguous wording. It fits a narrative where all missile defense systems are controversial, unproved, and provocative.
Arjen said:*The* media don't exist. I would expect some South Korean media would label the decision not to deploy THAAD as very controversial indeed.fredymac said:For example, the media would not report a decision to NOT deploy THAAD as controversial.
"may be a matter of ambiguous wording" ... so subject to interpretation. The Chinese government hasfredymac said:In this particular example, the “controversial” description is applied directly to THAAD rather than the deployment in South Korea although this may be a matter of ambiguous wording.been screaming blue murderquite vocally expressed its disapproval about South Korea deploying THAAD. I think, as I read it, the BBC calling THAAD deployment in South Korea controversial is just about right.
The notoriously biased BBC is telling the world all missile defense systems are controversial, unproved, and provocative. Not my perception.fredymac said:It fits a narrative where all missile defense systems are controversial, unproved, and provocative.
I was.fredymac said:Regarding the "notoriously biased BBC", I can't tell if you are being sarcastic.
Over the year, I've watched the BBC's coverage of brexit on TV and the internet. The BBC has been bending over backwards to present a balanced view of as many arguments pro and con as was humanly possible.fredymac said:Are you saying the BBC is unbiased? The BBC itself has admitted it is biased. I doubt Nigel Farage would have kind things to say about them. I would guess most of the people who just voted BREXIT would agree.
Grey Havoc said:
sferrin said:Grey Havoc said:
I keep wondering why we let NK keep on with this kind of behavior.
TomS said:sferrin said:Grey Havoc said:
I keep wondering why we let NK keep on with this kind of behavior.
Because we prefer to accept the occasional missile test that doesn't actually do any damage over starting the Second Korean War on the peninsula.
sferrin said:TomS said:sferrin said:Grey Havoc said:
I keep wondering why we let NK keep on with this kind of behavior.
Because we prefer to accept the occasional missile test that doesn't actually do any damage over starting the Second Korean War on the peninsula.
So we just sit back until he finally manages to land a nuke on somebody? Is that when we should leap into action?
sferrin said:TomS said:sferrin said:Grey Havoc said:
I keep wondering why we let NK keep on with this kind of behavior.
Because we prefer to accept the occasional missile test that doesn't actually do any damage over starting the Second Korean War on the peninsula.
So we just sit back until he finally manages to land a nuke on somebody? Is that when we should leap into action?
TomS said:There's a lot of room in the middle here. Test flights are not operational, and there would be clear and easily observed differences between the preparations for a test flight and an operational one.
There is risk of that now, has been since they set off their fist bomb. On top of that risk there's a rather large North Korean conventional military to deal with, including a few hundred artillery pieces already in range of Seoul and a flock of subs which can threaten a whole lot of commercial shipping in the vicinity of Korea. There is no good time to "deal with it" by turning the current status quo into a hot conflict, the DPRK doesn't need an ICBM to kill a whole lot of people and kick the world economy in the beans.sferrin said:TomS said:There's a lot of room in the middle here. Test flights are not operational, and there would be clear and easily observed differences between the preparations for a test flight and an operational one.
But at what point does one say, "okay the UN squawking obviously isn't doing anything, we should probably deal with this"? No matter when you do it it's going to cause a ruckus on the peninsula. I'd think the best time to do it would be BEFORE there is a risk of nuclear weapons being detonated.
Moose said:But if we succeed on this path it's the best possible option, and if we fail it will be because the DPRK went over the line and forced the world (China included) to intervene against them.
sferrin said:Moose said:But if we succeed on this path it's the best possible option, and if we fail it will be because the DPRK went over the line and forced the world (China included) to intervene against them.
If we fail, and North Korea manages to nuke one of it's neighbors, (or us) it will be 100% our own fault.
Grey Havoc said:Rising threat due to N. Korea missile launches (The Yomiuri Shimbun)
[snip]
Budget hampers interception
Japan’s missile defense is twofold: Its SM-3 interceptor missiles installed on MSDF Aegis destroyers can shoot down missiles outside the atmosphere, and the PAC-3 surface-to-air missiles of the Air Self-Defense Force can reach more than 10 kilometers above ground level.
When U.S. military satellites detect a launch, the missile is tracked and intercepted using an Aegis destroyer radar and ASDF control and warning radar, such as the FPS-5 and the FPS-3 UG (upgraded).
However, the central government did not detect signs of the Aug. 3 Rodong launch before it happened. Consequently, an order to be ready to shoot down and intercept was not given to the Self-Defense Forces, revealing issues about how Japan would respond to a surprise attack. Defense Minister Tomomi Inada issued a shoot-down order on Aug. 8 that will be maintained for the time being, placing a huge burden on the SDF.
The Defense Ministry plans to increase its fleet of SM-3-equipped Aegis destroyers from the current four to eight by fiscal 2020. Next-generation systems including the SM-3 are currently being jointly developed with the United States in the aim of deploying them next fiscal year. There are also plans to introduce a missile defense system that protects a wider area than the current PAC-3s and that better handles multiple warheads.
A move to install a U.S. THAAD system in Japan will be accelerated. If the THAAD — which intercept missiles at the point of reentry into the atmosphere — is deployed, it will fill the gaps left by the SM-3s and PAC-3s.
Kaneda praised the THAAD as being “highly capable” and said, “[The Defense Ministry] should also look at introducing a ground-based Aegis system. Continuous operation is easier than the sea-based type, and they are being deployed in Europe. It would be a strong defense system if equipped with various missile types, including the SM-3.”
A major issue is how to cope with the enormous cost of strengthening missile defense. What equipment to introduce and in what order — with a limited budget — is vital to moving forward strategically.[/snip]
The defense ministry's request covers the 100 billion yen cost to upgrade Japan's PAC-3 missile defense system, said the source, who declined to be identified, as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Such an upgrade would roughly double the missile system's range to more than 30 kilometers, other sources have said.
The budget proposal also includes the cost of production of the Block IIA version of the Standard Missile-3 system being jointly developed with the United States to shoot down missiles at higher altitudes, the source added.
Grey Havoc said:I think there was a editing error in the highlighted sentence. It probably should read by more than 30 kilometers (around 19 miles extra range).
WASHINGTON — The Army’s most advanced version of the Patriot missile broke its own distance record to intercept a target, according to Lockheed Martin, the missile’s manufacturer.
The Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor took out an air-breathing threat target in a test at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, July 26.
According to Lockheed, this marks the furthest distance a PAC-3 MSE missile has intercepted an air-breathing target. These types of targets mimic the flight profile of fixed-wing aircraft or cruise missiles.
The Army-led flight test demonstrated the missile’s “unique” hit-to-kill capability, which means the missile hits the target dead on. The test also confirmed PAC-3 MSE’s detection and tracking capabilities.
“PAC-3 MSE continues to be successful against today’s evolving threats, and this most recent test validates its effectiveness at extreme distances,” Jay Pitman, vice president of PAC-3 programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said in a statement.