North Korea just launched an ICBM - CONFIRMED.

originally posted by: OtherSideOfTheCoin

EDIT: intercontinental ballistic missile CONFIRMED - This is a game changer

.....only it's not.

Nothing will happen, a few politicians might make a few statements, there might even be a new sanction but it's not going to change anything

There will be a point, and it's coming soon I think, when NK will have the ability to launch a nuclear equipped warhead into the United States. Once that happens, it's too late to do a thing about it. I don't know why people are so content to do nothing, until NK has the full ability (and desire) to attack the U.S. with nukes.

It's not a big deal until it's a big deal, right? Perhaps we shouldn't wait until it's a big deal, and our options are greatly reduced.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Blaine91555

Japan has a lot more to worry about than you do up there. Demonstrating range is one thing, accuracy another. I won't say they're no threat, but they're still a way from being a significant threat beyond their neighbors.

The biggest issue is the pace at which they are developing and testing. An accurately launched, nuclear armed warhead may come about much sooner than people think.

a reply to: Zaphod58

This.

One of the reasons that both the US and the USSR kept upping how large a yield the nukes had was: lack of accuracy.

A 1 megaton warhead needs to be a LOT more accurate than a 20 megaton warhead. The more massive the yield, you just had to get close to your target to devastate it.

But: with much more accurate delivery vehicles, the requirement for larger warheads went down. In fact, as long as your delivery system was very accurate, you could use a much smaller warhead to pack one hell of a punch, but without going overboard.

Right now, as far as we know, all nuclear devices NK has are very small in yield.......and they do not have a very long range or accurate delivery system......at least as far as missiles or bombers go.

a reply to: fleabit

Kim is a fool if he thinks he will live long enough to launch any attacks.

We dont send billions of dollars to the cia just so they can evesdrop. My freakin barber can do that!

a reply to: eriktheawful

Is NK and IRAN about equal?

originally posted by: xstealth
If the reports are correct that the calculations were done on, every rocket scientist on Twitter is confirming this to be an ICBM that puts the entire state of Alaska within range.



EDIT: intercontinental ballistic missile CONFIRMED - This is a game changer.

allthingsnuclear.org...

#


The missile has a reach of 10,000 km, it can reach most of the United States. The further it travels the more unstable it can get, but it can reach further

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: fleabit

Kim is a fool if he thinks he will live long enough to launch any attacks.

We dont send billions of dollars to the cia just so they can evesdrop. My freakin barber can do that!

They couldn't kill Castro after many attempts what makes you think they would get any more successful with Kim way over in NK.

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: fleabit

Kim is a fool if he thinks he will live long enough to launch any attacks.

We dont send billions of dollars to the cia just so they can evesdrop. My freakin barber can do that!

Oh.. you have inside info that the CIA has some people on the "inside.." in NK? I sort of doubt it. And I sort of doubt that they do.

a reply to: Jacobu12

And one successful launch does not a successful missile make. So far they've launched one, possibly, long range missile. When they're doing it consistently, and proving it has range anything like the claims, I'll start to worry.

originally posted by: xstealth
If the reports are correct that the calculations were done on, every rocket scientist on Twitter is confirming this to be an ICBM that puts the entire state of Alaska within range.



EDIT: intercontinental ballistic missile CONFIRMED - This is a game changer.

allthingsnuclear.org...

So what.. They are entitled to have wepons..

i dont see what the problem is every country should have nukes apart from america

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Blaine91555

Japan has a lot more to worry about than you do up there. Demonstrating range is one thing, accuracy another. I won't say they're no threat, but they're still a way from being a significant threat beyond their neighbors.

For me it's not so much what he can do now, as what he is moving towards. I don't think he's doing this for defensive reasons, which makes Kim stand out among dictators.

Japan may be an enemy, but the US would be more of a trophy. I'm not sure logic can be applied to thinking about this idiot.

a reply to: eriktheawful

What happens when you factor in detonating it in the atmosphere. It does not need to hit a target to cause a lot of harm.

a reply to: Blaine91555

Sure it would, but honestly, he'd at best be able to hit us with a very limited number of weapons even if he had them ready now. And the retaliation for it would be huge. Probably not from just the US either.

Filthy

a reply to: Zaphod58

A year from now? Two years from now?

Does it make sense to wait until after he's capable to act?

If even part of what we read about this guy is true and his actions seem to say it is, is this a person who would actually care if his actions cause a retaliation?

I see this guy as different from other threats and I'm not so sure he gives a damn if NK is wiped out, as long as throws the first punch.

I'd not want to be the person making the decisions about what to do.

a reply to: Blaine91555

North Korea will suspend it's nuclear program when the USA gets off it's doorstep.
Would americans like it much if Red China or Russia was on the Canadian or Mexican border with a huge troop presence, practicing wargames all the time?
South Korea doesn't even want the mericans there. Time for the US to get out.

originally posted by: Blaine91555
a reply to: eriktheawful

What happens when you factor in detonating it in the atmosphere. It does not need to hit a target to cause a lot of harm.

Depends upon the harm you wish to inflict:

EMP to destroy electrical/electronic infrastructure, you'd do a high altitude burst....but that means you still have to deal with other things that are not affected by it.

Blast damage destruction: much lower altitude burst, still up in the air, but the fireball and blast wave is devastating to all people and structures. Some fallout, but much lower than:

Surface burst: if you desire some pretty good blast damage, but also irradiate the area (because you don't plane to invade or use it, just kill and destroy), surface bursts cause the most fallout. Less blast damage (all though still devastating), but a LOT more fallout.

The EMP air burst is very bad for the civilian infrastructure......not so much the military as the equipment is hardened against that exact thing.

So it all depends upon what the mission objective is.

While I'd be worried about a lunatic like Kim having nukes, I'm not quite as worried due to the fact that so far what we've seen is:

Very small nukes, and crappy delivery systems. One or two successful launches does not make a delivery system....it makes a roll of the dice whether your system will work well enough or not at all.

a reply to: eriktheawful

Yeah, but which is smarter, stop him now or wait until he poses a substantial threat.

I'm of the opinion the world has waited too long already.

North Korea needs a few mega tons of Freedom droped on them!