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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Defense News, "U.S. Develops Missile Targeting N.K.’s Nuclear Facilities |
| 2004-07-15 |
| The U.S. army is reported to have developed a missile capable of destroying North Korea’s suspected underground facilities of nuclear weapons. This new missile, according to a U.S. defense weekly, will first be deployed with U.S. forces stationed in South Korea, to bring about changes to the security situation on the Korean peninsula. American defense weekly, the Defense News says the U.S. army has successfully test-fired a missile that is designed to target North Korea’s possible hidden nuclear weapons and facilities. In its Monday edition, Defense News reported, the new missile has been upgraded in its penetration ability to better detonate hidden targets. Quoting words from U.S. Department of Defense officials, it says U.S. forces serving in South Korea will be the first to be equipped with six of these missiles, when its development program ends in a year. When discharged from an aircraft, the missile is apparently capable of penetrating hundreds of meters below ground in a second to instantly destroy the underground target with its warhead. The Defense News weekly says although the U.S. army has been mum on the exact target of this new missile, the general consensus is that North Korea is probably its main focus. It adds, with the possession of such weapons, the United States has secured a strategic upper hand in negotiations with North Korea as it is locked in a 21-month-old standoff over Pyongyang¡¯s nuclear ambitions. |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |
| #20 I don't see where getting something pretty far underground is such a problem when the missile is traveling somewhere between Mach 6 and 15. At several thousand MPH, a well constructed penetrator should be able to do some deep digging. Hundreds of feet? Yes, easily. Hundreds of meters? Definitely maybe. The X-43's evolutionary designs sound promising. Some of the illustrations at the link look like hot candidates for deep burrowing projectiles. "... the X-43A is powered by an uncooled hydrogen-fueled scramjet engine, the X-43D would use a cooled, liquid-hydrogen-fueled scramjet. The upgraded engine would provide 10 seconds of power and be capable of accelerating to Mach 15." I would like to see a nice hybrid package that delivered both trans-sonic cruise flight and Mach 15 termination velocity. The asset could be launched from a stand-off posture, then loiter over an enemy's conventional nuclear missile farm and selectively miscarry any ground based lift-offs. This sort of intercept-at-launch would be an ultimate defensive weapon. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-07-16 4:10:19 AM |
| #19 Mike K,after reading article again,you are most likely right.The article is describing a ground-based missile system of a weapon that is also air-launchable.I still think this is just PR to reassure SK's as it describes a weapon undergoing testing,and eventually several will go to Korea.The hundreds of meters penetration could be mistranslation back and forth of hundreds of feet penetration.(Unlikely,but NASA lost a Mars probe over similar kind of mistake.) |
| Posted by: Stephen 2004-07-15 2:05:30 PM |
| #18 #11, To get anything like that sort of penetration the thing would have to come in at something like orbital velocity. *cough* Please cooperate with the men in the suits. They are going to escort you to a holding facility shortly. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4021 2004-07-15 1:07:51 PM |
| #17 Can't wait for the KCNA spittle-filled diatribe / response about our 'running-dog naked aggression' and all that fun stuff. |
| Posted by: Raj 2004-07-15 1:07:33 PM |
| #16 Yup. And read the last paragraph, which is where the meat is: In 2001 Sandia completed work to qualify the B61-11 earth-penetrating bomb as meeting all requirements, resulting in its acceptance as a standard stockpile item. We made alterations to enhance the safety and security of all B61 bombs at field locations. In recognizing the efforts of the B61-11 certification team, the Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Command cited the weapon’s many advantages over the retired B53-1 bomb. DOD synthetic environments are virtual representations of the physical and behavioral phenomena of complex military systems achieved through mathematical modeling, simulation, and simulators. This is the environment within which DOD’s goal of "virtual prototyping" and "exploration of future warfighting concepts" will be accomplished. More importantly, this environment will be used in analysis and decision support for combat development, material acquisition, test and evaluation, and training processes. For the past several years, LANL has contributed MSA efforts to help develop DOD synthetic environments. USSTRATCOM has requested that LANL develop and provide them with a B61-11 engagement planning tool for use in end-to-end weapon/target engagement analysis. when those tools are in place, as they would by by now based on the timing given in the article, it means the munition is really available for operational use. |
| Posted by: rkb 2004-07-15 12:20:39 PM |
| #15 CRS knows the score! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-07-15 11:39:04 AM |
| #14 Steven- Actually, the comment about the Army indicated to me that there really might be something here. What this sounds like to me is a project I had heard about some time before I retired that would put the GBU-28 BunkerBuster onto a booster assembly that would give it a standoff capability or enable it to be fired from a ground based launcher. Yes, it would be a USAF weapon - but the US Army is responsible for the adminstrative procurement and manufacture of bombs, like the GBU-28. And I agree with AzCat - hundreds of meters ain't gonna happen unless you drop it from orbit, but a high altitude boosted drop might get you a hundred meters of penetration. Also, the basing info makes no sense at all - but hey, if it drives Kimmie another few inches up the wall, I say tell 'em we're gonna base 'em in Itawewon..*S* Mike Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2004-07-15 11:37:25 AM |
| #13 We've had these for a while. It's called the B-61. |
| Posted by: CRS 2004-07-15 10:35:35 AM |
| #12 The NKs have the upper hand because they know that there's a possibility Kerry will be elected. |
| Posted by: virginian 2004-07-15 7:39:04 AM |
| #11 This also smells: When discharged from an aircraft, the missile is apparently capable of penetrating hundreds of meters below ground in a second .... We're good but we're not that good. To get anything like that sort of penetration the thing would have to come in at something like orbital velocity. |
| Posted by: AzCat 2004-07-15 4:17:28 AM |
| #10 What a bird! Another "your welcome" from our cold warrior generation! |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-07-15 1:52:47 AM |
| #9 Ask and ye shall receive... literally... |
| Posted by: .com 2004-07-15 1:45:06 AM |
| #8 Steve, let's give Dear Leader a call and find out. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2004-07-15 1:44:31 AM |
| #7 Something smells about this.The US Army does not develope weapons for the USAF.Further missiles have motors,while bombs don't.(A missile you can fire from a distance,a bomb you kinda have to be overhead to drop.)This sounds like garbled account of weapon USAF huurriedly developed for Gulf War of '91.The US filled the barrel of US Army 8" artillery cannon w/high-explosives and a delayed fuse,making a 4,000lb.bomb.Possib a new version w/guidance package added has been introduced,and some were sent to Korea as PR to show Koreans we have "wonder weapons" to make up for withdrawing troops.If I remember correctly could only be dropped by F-111's(now retired) and F-15Es.The really large air-to-ground missile the USAF has are 2,000lb.cruise missiles that are used by bombers,and I find it hard to believe any USAF General would be stupid enough to base scarce bomber resources in Korea.Aside from anti-sabotage concerns,any NK agent w/binocs and cell phone could warn North bombers were launching from South. |
| Posted by: Stephen 2004-07-15 1:44:16 AM |
| #6 Wonder how many of these a B-52 can carry? 12 on the wings and 16 in the belly? Thirty or so BUFFs flying out of Andersen could do some serious renovation of the NORK infrastructure. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-07-15 1:40:44 AM |
| #5 Is that the American-style sat phone (that tells us where he is so that the Predator can nail him) or the Israeli-style sat phone (3 ounces of C4 inside the earpiece)? |
| Posted by: Steve White 2004-07-15 1:39:41 AM |
| #4 What Lucky said. Oh, and Kimmie? Feel free to use that nice new sat phone we sent over. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2004-07-15 1:26:22 AM |
| #3 No they havn't, nope, move along. Nk safe, soups on. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-07-15 1:17:15 AM |
| #2 Already locked and loaded. |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-07-15 1:00:06 AM |
| #1 Don't forget to target various Iranian nuke sites. |
| Posted by: Capt America 2004-07-15 12:58:54 AM |
