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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| Does the Taepodong-2 Pose a Serious Threat? | |
| 2009-05-16 | |
The North Korean missile is called the Taepodong-2. Analysts say little is known about it. They say theoretically the three-stage rocket has a range of between 3,600 and 4,300 kilometers, making it capable of reaching the western United States. North Korea described the April test as a success, saying the missile launched a communications satellite into orbit. However Western officials said it was a failure, with the last two stages falling far short of Pyongyang's expectations. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 Incoming long-range ballistic missiles are quite annoying even when armed only with conventional warheads. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2009-05-16 13:11 |
| #1 they first built a nuclear weapon and then it was years and years and years before they were able to mount one on a missile, Nonsense. The Chinese did this in two years. All the work has already been done by the Chinese. The Norks have only to copy and update the design. The Libyans handed over blueprints for a nuclear missile warhead that they got from AQ Khan. He got this from the Chinese. These blueprints were still wrapped in a plastic bag from AQ Khan dry cleaners in Karachi. There were detailed notes in Chinese and Urdu describing the machining of parts, how much torque to use on bolts, what adhesives to use etc. The design from Libya was the warhead tested in the 4th Chinese nuclear test - carried by a DF2 ballistic missile. |
| Posted by: john frum 2009-05-16 08:35 |