Japan warns it might shoot down North Korea Rocket

If NK is more concerned with getting satellite into space and not testing their rockets capabilities, they can always get one launched by a Chinese space rocket. Don't think Japan is gonna intercept one of those.

MwRYum said:

It has been said that past N.Korean launches' trajectories weren't overpass Japan islands, but south of them, thus this time Japan announced they stations Patriot missiles on Okinawa is in fact not in response to N.Korea, but something else entirely, primary against China.

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Exactly, the truth is Japan is using NK as a perfect excuse to strengthen deployment to south part of the island chains.

Why should any country feel obliged to inform the world at where they place their defences within their own borders?

Just wonder if it is necessary that any launch from N.Korea must pass Japanese airspace?

Probably not, there's plenty of space to get into space.

Delivering a satellite into space means you can deliver the equivalent throw weight to any where on the globe.

Also one can disguise a blatant ballistic missile test as a failed 'satellite' launch, when the party testing the missiles knew all along it was going to crash and where approximately it was going to crash.

So if a supposed satellite test crashed into the southern pacific, NK will just announced the satellite launch attempt failed, while the whole world now gets the implicit message that NK has a ballistic missile equivalent that can at least reach south pacific.

Both US and Japan can't shoot it down once it reaches its planned altitude. If NK really is launching a satellite, it will be cruising at around 400km altitude, whereas Standard 3s will reach up to 200km altitude, 300km at the very most.

The only way it can be shot down without it malfunctioning, would be if they station DDGs very close to NK and shoot it down at early stages. This is unlikely, since it is equivalent as declaration of war and a slap in the face. No one dares to do something like this to a lunatic like NK, even the mighty Uncle Sam.

no_name said:

If NK is more concerned with getting satellite into space and not testing their rockets capabilities, they can always get one launched by a Chinese space rocket. Don't think Japan is gonna intercept one of those.

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Desregarding the possibilities of other countries attempting to shoot it down or in fact, its nothing more than a disguised ballistic missile test, asking China to launch a satellite for them at "special friendship prices" is the logical way to go about it in the first place.

Despite the death of the Kim Jong Il N.K. behaviour seems to be as eratic as ever.

Im at a lost to think why N.K .putting food aid at risk with its current rocket launch. It would be more logical to have gotten all the aid thats being offered and then try a launch.

As far as I know this rocket is one with liquid fuel and thus not militarily relevant. If it were not the journalists taken to the launch site will tell us.

SteelBird said:

Just wonder if it is necessary that any launch from N.Korea must pass Japanese airspace?

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You just bagged a rather ironic question (to the world).

NK's BM luach (without any intention to "disguis"), often either pass right over Japan's head, or landing right besides Japan's water. This time, to show the world they are clean and have no intention to mess around, they (the NK) neither have a trajectory going anyway near Japan homeland, nor do they shoot any rocket through SK's airspace, and of course leave China and Russia's space out of the question -

They choose to shoot the rocket right to the trajectory over Filipino overhead, showing even as noob as everyone considering NK are, they know who not to piss, and who they can.

I think Philipine became a somewhat victim in this game, is the ironic part of the whole storey (that the world power didn't really protected the weaker ones).