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North Korea's Newest Missile Appears Similar To Advanced Russian Design
Source: NPR
North Korea's Newest Missile Appears Similar To Advanced Russian Design
May 8, 2019 9:12 AM ET
GEOFF BRUMFIEL
North Korea's newest missile has a striking resemblance to an advanced Russian design, according to experts analyzing images from a test of the weapon on Saturday morning.
The missile, which North Korea describes as a "tactical guided weapon," appears superficially to be nearly identical to Russia's Iskander missile — a highly accurate short-range weapon capable of striking targets more than 150 miles away.
Such a system has the potential to challenge missile defenses in South Korea and further escalate tensions in the region. It also shows that North Korea is developing new weapons systems, even as President Trump expresses optimism about a future deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
"This Iskander-style missile is a thing we need to start worrying about," says Melissa Hanham, a weapons expert at One Earth Future.
-snip-
May 8, 2019 9:12 AM ET
GEOFF BRUMFIEL
North Korea's newest missile has a striking resemblance to an advanced Russian design, according to experts analyzing images from a test of the weapon on Saturday morning.
The missile, which North Korea describes as a "tactical guided weapon," appears superficially to be nearly identical to Russia's Iskander missile — a highly accurate short-range weapon capable of striking targets more than 150 miles away.
Such a system has the potential to challenge missile defenses in South Korea and further escalate tensions in the region. It also shows that North Korea is developing new weapons systems, even as President Trump expresses optimism about a future deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
"This Iskander-style missile is a thing we need to start worrying about," says Melissa Hanham, a weapons expert at One Earth Future.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2019/05/08/721135496/north-koreas-newest-missile-appears-similar-to-advanced-russian-design
2 replies
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The man Trump says he fell in love with?
(Source Channel A Top Ten News 5.7)
North Korea tactical guided missile left. South Korean Hyunmoo tactical guided missile right. Both solid fueled.
"This is just kind of what this class of short-range missiles looks like," Lewis says.
Town says, "It actually makes it more difficult for the U.S. and South Korea to postpone military exercises." The problem here is that they had already resumed exercises in late April before this launch in North Korea. Several experts have linked the two events.
In any case, what happened in Hanoi was a rejection of negotiations and a return to regime change politics by the US despite Trump and Pompeo's statements to the contrary. This was signaled implicitly by the breakin to the Madrid embassy by the group "Free Joseon" (just before Hanoi); the adoption of an all or nothing approach to negotiations with no reciprocity at Hanoi; the rejection of the South Korean joint economic overtures to North Korea at Hanoi; the abandonment of the Singapore joint statement; the public complaints about human rights abuses in North Korea by US representatives to UN committees; and the human rights content of daily VOA broadcasts in Korean, including public statements from top republicans in Congress and the Senate on a daily basis concerning human rights, weapons of mass destruction and other items not outlined at Singapore. The import of these events is unmistakable. Even the conservative expert in South Korea, Thae Yong Ho (the former DPRK diplomat) has commented that a return to human rights issues is the code for regime change in North Korea and signals an end to negotiation.
(Source- Channel A News Top Ten 4,23) "US Forces Korea, last week conducted a THAAD deployment to Pyeongtaek...Photo made public on SNS."
In the last few weeks, the US has test fired a double ABM intercept on a single test target in the Pacific, conducted an exercise Minuteman III ICBM launch in the Pacific, deployed THAAD missiles to Camp Humphreys in a mobility exercise, and conducted a renamed version of the Max Thunder joint Air Force exercise with South Korea.