Missiles 'fired towards China' by mistake

[Defense]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,1726739,00.html

Associated Press in Seoul
Thursday March 9, 2006
http://www.guardian.co.uk


North Korea has reportedly fired two surface-to-air missiles near its border with China, a reminder of the communist regime's ability to foment instability in the region, amid the ongoing standoff over its nuclear weapons programme.

Japan's Kyodo news agency cited a "security source" in China as saying the missiles were fired towards China by mistake during a military drill, and apparently landed in the North.

The agency also cited a "western military source" as saying that the short-range missiles were test-fired easterly towards the Sea of Japan.

At least one landed in the sea.


Special reports
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[DPRKPTboat]

I wpnder what type of missiles they were testing. They were probably a recent additon, possibly NoDongs or a short range surface-to-surface missile. If they were the Taepodongs that everyone's been looking out for, the testing range would be longer. I'm surprised that the North Koreans weren't able to keep this under wraps as much as their alleged nuclear tests.

[walter]

hmmm, I am not surprised about ballistic missle tests (still not clear here if this was a ballistic missle) being known to NK's neighbors and especially the US with satellite recon. I haven't heard about alleged nuclear tests by NK, though. Do you mean a warhead detonation? I never heard about that.:confused:

[DPRKPTboat]

Didn't you hear about that? They haven't confirmed it, but I'm pretty sure it was a nuclear test. Heres the link:

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/09/16/nkorea.blast/index.html

The blast took place In Septhember 2004, in the mountains near the Chinese border. It was definetly a Nuclear blast, as htere was a white msuhroom clod and strong seismic activity. The Norht Koreans claimed the blast was intended to clear rock for an HEP plant on the rnearby river Huchang, but I doubt this is true. That river is small and slow-flowing. There was a white mushroom cloud and a radiation reading, and they said it was a demolition blast!:rofl: :rofl: :roll:

[adeptitus]

Hmmm

The article did state it was "surface to air" missile. I wonder if that came from the North Korean government press, or ? Obviously if it's a SAM, then it wouldn't be a SCUD vairant.

[SampanViking]

The article on the subject that I read in the Taiwanese Media last night, said they were surface to surface missile with a range of about 5 kilometers.:confused:

The article was somewhat downbeat saying it was more to do with Japans DPRK Missile Phobia than any real significance or threat.

[DPRKPTboat]

Well, you've got to remember that North Korea is a very secretive country. If you look for information on its military anywhere on the net, I reckon you'll find next to nothing. Its hard to say whether those missiles were SAMs or ballistic missiles. The infromation that comes out of there is very sparse, and nearly everything about the DPRK is a mystery. I found that out when I started that thread on the KPAN.

[Gollevainen]

Yeah I remeber back when they shoot a Styx type of Anti-ship missile towards japan and what fuzz it was in our media 'how the big bad commies are shooting CRUISE missiles towards Japan' and backed whit some odd refrences to those NATO cruise missiles that were under popular resistance during the 80's...while Finnish NAVY was fielding the exact same missile type Whit even longer range:nana:

all media needs nowadays is the word missile and some important looking military expert babbling some odd military jargon over cruise missiles and they get good headlines. This should fall under the now-closed thread about western media....

[DPRKPTboat]

Yeah I remeber back when they shoot a Styx type of Anti-ship missile towards japan and what fuzz it was in our media 'how the big bad commies are shooting CRUISE missiles towards Japan' and backed whit some odd refrences to those NATO cruise missiles that were under popular resistance during the 80's...while Finnish NAVY was fielding the exact same missile type Whit even longer range:nana:

all media needs nowadays is the word missile and some important looking military expert babbling some odd military jargon over cruise missiles and they get good headlines. This should fall under the now-closed thread about western media....

Most of those North Korean missiles are either out of date or barely work. Like the Soviets, I reckon they must be having serious problems with quality control of their ballistic missiles. That space launcher that flew over Japan met a nasty end. And the design of their Taepo-dong missiles looks a bit dodgy....
And another thing. Why is it that the tests always occur near the chinese border? I'm surprised that the PRC isn't condemning them or showing serious concern.

[KYli]

Most of those North Korean missiles are either out of date or barely work. Like the Soviets, I reckon they must be having serious problems with quality control of their ballistic missiles. That space launcher that flew over Japan met a nasty end. And the design of their Taepo-dong missiles looks a bit dodgy....
I would not agree with that. We just simply don't know what NK capable or not. I don't think even US have the knowledge.

And another thing. Why is it that the tests always occur near the chinese border? I'm surprised that the PRC isn't condemning them or showing serious concern.
Maybe China just might do this, but again we might never know.:rofl:

[Kampfwagen]

I feel you there. It's seriously concerning to know that anywhere there is the potential for a haywire nuclear missile. But I imagine there are only a few places that one can test a Nuclear Missile and there are few places where one can test such missiles in North Korea without harming civilians. I imagine that the PRC is concerned of somehow pissing off North Korea and causing an international incident if they try to sanction them or ban testing. As we all know, Kim and Crew arent exactly the most stable group of individuals out there.

Even if the warheads were not nuclear, this is still a cause for major concern. Nothing is as bad as not being able to controll the Bulls in your pen, if you catch my drift.