North Korean Rocket Launched

[lowflier03]

Again we will probably do nothing. And the UN will continue to do what it does best. Nothing. No surprise there.
NK launching the missile is no surprise either. Anyone who has been in that area of the world knows just how crazy NK and China are and how little they really care about world opinion and UN "posturing."

 

[CommodoreMid]

"Or else we will be very angry with you, and we will write you a letter, telling you how angry we are..." -Hans Blix

 

[desertoasis]

...one could make a good drinking game out of it...

We tried that at the president's address to the nation a couple months ago...for every time Pelosi jumped to her feet like a blathering idiot.


And it was a disaster. To the point where I don't want to try it with any more of Obama's speaking...

 

[Uncle Fester]

I guess that depends on whether you think "Japanese Defense" is an oxymoron or the biggest lie-thru-the-teeth of the century.

Personally, I don't understand how they keep half the toys they do with even the loosest of Article IX interpretations.

The "Self-Defense" in JSDF is less in where do they get those wonderful toys, and more in what their Constitution allows them do with them. Most of the stuff they bought from us or built under license is better than what we have. I'd rather have a Kongo than an Arleigh Burke, or an F-2 than an F-16.

If NK wants to try them on, all I can say is, Banzai!

 

[Junkball]

"Or else we will be very angry with you, and we will write you a letter, telling you how angry we are..." -Hans Blix

For those who haven't seen Team America:

The "Self-Defense" in JSDF is less in where do they get those wonderful toys, and more in what their Constitution allows them do with them. Most of the stuff they bought from us or built under license is better than what we have. I'd rather have a Kongo than an Arleigh Burke, or an F-2 than an F-16.

If NK wants to try them on, all I can say is, Banzai!

I heard the Kongo's were sweet, but an F-2 over a -16? I thought the F-2 was a gold-plated POS basically... why do you say so?

 

[Bevo16]

I am not even sure that a big response is needed here. They shot a rocket off, and it basically showed us that they are not capable of doing much. Their MO has been to do things that they are not supposed to do, and then stop doing those things in exchange for food and other concessions.

It seems to me that if North Korea WANTS a big response, we should just call them out for what they are really doing. That and study the launch and build weapons that can shoot them down just in case they make some improvements on their existing platform. Thank them for the data and move on.

 

[Uncle Fester]

That's one way of looking at it. Another is, NK wanted the world's attention, and got it. They showed that no one can stop them from launching a long-range missile and they seemed determine to make-believe that the launch was successful. All of that's bullshit, of course, but since when has that mattered to North Korea?

 

[Bevo16]

Well, I guess we have the President's response:

http://www.click2houston.com/politics/19098063/detail.html

No word yet on Pres. Obama's take on the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny, but he probably thinks those are real too.

Who would have guessed that his solution to someone attempting to show aggression (even though it was a pathetic attempt) would be for us to disarm. Yup, that will work. Then everyone will like us. It's all flowers, puppies, and rainbows in his world. Must be nice.

 

[mmx1]

That damn rainbows, puppies, and flowers hippie idealist. :icon_wink

Make no mistake: As long as these weapons exist, we will maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal to deter any adversary, and guarantee that defense to our allies,

As long as the threat from Iran persists, we will go forward with a missile defense system that is cost-effective and proven

 

[Flash]

NORAD/NORTHCOM say that nothing was placed in orbit, the stated reason for the launch.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ibWUjRxt19w6MXrTH_BHtCnnajHwD97C9QT00

If there was something in orbit and transmitting there probably would have been independent confirmation of it by now by civilian satellite observers.

P.S. Just because they didn't place something in orbit doesn't mean it was a failure, especially by North Korean standards. Even if only part of the launch system worked, they may be progressing.

 

[Bevo16]

P.S. Just because they didn't place something in orbit doesn't mean it was a failure, especially by North Korean standards. Even if only part of the launch system worked, they may be progressing.

True enough, and you are correct that there would be someone confirming it if they had put something in orbit. Since the Japs are way more pissed about it than we seen to be, I doubt that they would willing to sweep anything under the rug.

Trying to determine what North Korea really wants is like trying to make sense of a drunken stripper talking about true love. You can see her lips moving, but you better not believe a word of it because as soon as you drop your guard, the bitch is going to be off with your wallet.

 

[das]

As I said in my earlier reply, it is remarkably easy for the world community, and as Flash noted, civilian or amateur satellite observers, to confirm that nothing is in orbit.

The fact is that even if the rocket carried a satellite payload that was intended to deploy to orbit (something I personally consider highly unlikely), the launch itself is still a "success" for DPRK...they were able to do what they wanted to do, without the intervention of any other power. Granted, Japan and/or the US may have taken action were there any actual threat, but this is still a propaganda win even if it was a dismal technical failure...and at that, it is at least a partial success because the first stage got off.

Not that any of this matters, since DPRK and its state establishment got its wishes, in complete defiance of UNSEC 1718 (2006). With PRC urging "restraint" on all sides, it will be interesting to see what the Security Council is able to come up with in response. Personally, I would have hoped for a more "successful" launch with an equally "successful" disabling of the rocket and/or its payload by US forces. But to what end? DPRK would still have the same propaganda, perhaps interspersed with accusations of "sabotage" by the US.

 

[exhelodrvr]

Good column on this subject

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123892552140890247.html#mod=rss_opinion_main

 

[eddie]

I heard the Kongo's were sweet, but an F-2 over a -16? I thought the F-2 was a gold-plated POS basically... why do you say so?

I heard the same thing as well, but they may just be in the Air-to-Air regime???

I think, for the Japanese, the big deal about the F-2 is that it has modern ground-attack electronics.

 

[Flash]

I heard the same thing as well, but they may just be in the Air-to-Air regime???

I think, for the Japanese, the big deal about the F-2 is that it has modern ground-attack electronics.

The F-2 as another bright idea that has not turned out so well in practice. While it has given the Japanese valuable experience with designing (kind of) and building a modern jet fighter it has been controversial because of its huge cost and possibly only limited differences between it and the latest F-16's.

If the big difference is ground-attack electronics then it is a pretty penny for them to pay since it would have been considerably cheaper and a lot faster just to replace some of the electronics in the latest F-16's.

But like so many military procurement decisions, politics played a big role. Domestic manufacture of a modern fighter was important to the Japanese and they paid the price for it. Not too much different than many of our procurement decisions.