US may shoot down test missile.

The United States is considering whether to shoot down a test missile expected to be fired by communist North Korea.

The United States is considering whether to shoot down a test missile expected to be fired by communist North Korea.

The secretive dictatorship is believed to be planning to test fire a missile with a range that could theoretically reach Alaska.
US officials have said they must consider the possibility that an anticipated test could turn out to be something else, such as a space launch or even an attack.

Source: www.sky.com...

The article also states that the Pentagon is considering shooting down any missile launched over the Pacific Ocean. Are they talking about any that are headed thier way, or are they now hailing themselves owners of the Pacific Ocean? That almost sounds like the Pacific's theirs and anyone who steps over that mark will face the consequenses.

Could anyone expand more on what airspace juristiction the US have?, does the US have the right to shoot anything down that crosses or flys over this ocean?

I agree this would be a good way of showing the N. Koreans that you should'nt mess people about with this sort of thing, and that if this is what happens to just a test missile, you get the picture what would happen with a real one. I just hope it does'nt lead to worse events.

CX.

Dumb move, its an act of war on the part of the US.

What else would you expect from Bush?

If NK launches the missile without clearly stating that it's a spacelaunch test, US has all the rights to shoot it down... as long as they do it in international airspace.

And i can't think of any treaties that would protect an ICBM, you have a right to shoot down a cruise missile going past your cruiser, so why not ICBM? If the landing zone would be in NK, then it would be their own business, but as long as it goes over other countries (Japan), it's free game

the U.S. has activated it's missile defence systems in response to NK's actions I hope they do shoot it down. it seems like a reasonable response to a provacative action IMO besides I would like to see if they could actually shoot it down, shooting down an ICBM is no easy task we'll see how it goes

I don't understand what the problem is. Why can't they just shoot the thing towards their buddies Russia and China and they won't have a hassle. They have plenty of land mass to test over. It would be in our interests to see how this thing performs IMO. As long as they aim their Dongs someplace else.

If this argument is true, then why could not any nation just shoot down the space shuttle ?

If this missile stays well out in international waters, the US can do nothing. If is shot down, then any US ship or aircraft in international waters also becomes a fair target.

You cannot have it both ways.

Shuttle launches are peaceful and everybody are warned well before any launches. This is an ICBM and it has not been anounced to be scientific test. Any US aircraft and ships are entirely different case than this. Don't think it as an air/spacecraft but as a Munition.

Its because NK signed a treaty many many years ago hat said they would not test or build these kind of missles....

Originally posted by northwolf
Shuttle launches are peaceful and everybody are warned well before any launches. This is an ICBM and it has not been anounced to be scientific test. Any US aircraft and ships are entirely different case than this. Don't think it as an air/spacecraft but as a Munition.

I dunno using the shuttle as an example is not so great. We as american citizens don't even know what gets placed on that shuttle or what gets put into space,so how would a foreign government know wether or not some laser weapon wasn't being shuttled out to be aimed at them?


Pie

Most shuttle launches have personel from various countries, including russia, so assume no weaponry will be transported with it...

And this is a missile TEST flight. It is not armed with anything except maybe additional instrumentation and telemetry.

If the Koreans want to test an unarmed launch vehicle in international waters, and announce well before hand the details and intentions of the flight, how is that a threat to anyone ?

Maybe it will go absolutely nuts, and fly around in ever decreasing circles. Then shooting it down may be a very good idea, if Korea don't self destruct it first.

It is not as if it was launched directly on a flight path to America without warning. That would be a very serious matter, but it is nothing like that at all.

-No warning has been anounced yet
-Probable flight path (if fired to pacific) will take it to course towards USA and over Japan
-Even if warning is give less than 24 hours before launch, it will be a hazard to shipping.

If they've said 2 months ago that they will do missile test to the pacific, it might be ok, but "secretly" fueling an ICBM is no way to go.

Whilst we are on the subject, does anyone know if the US missile defence system actually works?

I know this is a few years old, but this article states that there problems before.

news.bbc.co.uk...

How often does the US actualy get a chance to test this system on an ICBM? From what i hear it's not guarunteed that you'll hit the thing anyway.

CX.

Warpspeed,

The North Koreans have not announced their intentions, the media is just assuming it's another "test" as in 1998. It could just as easily be carrying an armed warhead and be aimed at Australia. I don't believe that for a moment, but right now only the North Koreans know what they're planning.

CX
Combine the Missile Defence with AEGIS ships armed with SM-3s and awacs/EW aircraft providing alerts and knowledge of exact launch location. I'd say it's 9:1 that the missile will hit the target. But that's just an uneducated guess by a grunt

Maybe not their exact intentions. Maybe they are having all sorts of launch pad dramas and don't even know themselves.

I can recall shuttle countdowns being halted numerous times with all sorts of technical problems.

This is something rather new and pretty big for them, and I bet it is not going all that smoothly. It may even blow up on the launch pad, who knows ?

This is just a bad idea.. Most of the posts I've read say "We dont know what type of missile it is" Yeah.. it's a TEST.. missile.. That's all it is.. And the media hasnt assumed anything it would seem.. North Korea announced it as a test.. For the USA to shoot it down would be bad idea.. Cause the next one probably wont be if that's the case.. War will only get you so far.... Bush seems to think it's the answer for everything and it's the complete opposite.. If they activated the missile defense system.. are they talking about the "Star Wars Project"? Why to see if Daddy built something that works?

Originally posted by CX
or are they now hailing themselves owners of the Pacific Ocean?

The wing nut in charge of North Korea has publically stated that he's
going nuclear no matter what. He will have nuclear weapons and he
wants them to be able to hit America. Combine his mental instability;
his promises of nuclear weapons; his desire to hit America with them;
and his upcoming launch of an ICBM TOWARDS America .... that all
means we definately have a right to shoot down whatever he sends
our way.

Your emotional comment - 'hailing themselves owners of the Pacific Ocean' -
fails to take those things into consideration.

And no - the scientific voyages of the Space Shuttle and their international
crew with open launches which are well advertised in advance obviously
don't even come close to being the same situation.

Now - as mentioned earlier - I doubt that we'd be able to shoot it down
and any attempt by us to do so had better be a success otherwise the
effort would backfire and it would embolden the N. Korean meglomaniac
and he'd work even harder to nuke us.

And if he thinks we are incapable of stopping him, he'll go after his
neighbors as well.


[edit on 6/21/2006 by FlyersFan]

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Your emotional comment - 'hailing themselves owners of the Pacific Ocean' -
fails to take those things into consideration.

Yeah ok fair enough. I take that one back.



[edit on 21/6/06 by CX]

[edit: fixed/shortened quote]

[edit on 6/21/2006 by 12m8keall2c]

I see this as a game of high stakes poker.


We've already been told that the U.S. is preparing about 9 interceptors to handle this one known
and expected launch.

This multi-billion dollar antimissile program has yet to prove it's worth.

What happens if the Pentagon fails to handle just one expected target?

What happens if they miss and what happens if OUR missles land in the wrong place?

What does this say about our ability to handle multiple unexpected launches in a truely
hostile situation.

Can the Pentagon afford to reveal that billions have been wasted on a failed system?