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China-Japan-Koreas |
ROK, U.S. Boost Alert Level Ahead of Rocket Launch |
2012-12-09 |
The South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command raised the alert level on the peninsula from Watchcon 3 to Watchcon 2 on Thursday as North Korea's rocket launch approaches. "North Korea is believed to have completed mounting the rocket on a launch pad in Tongchang-ri" on its western coast, a military source here said. "As such we have raised the alert level." Under Watchcon 2, which is issued when there is concern of a "vital threat" to the nation, South Korean and U.S. forces double their spy satellite and surveillance aircraft activity and call in more intelligence experts. |
Posted by:Steve White |
#1 AFAIK this rocket is once again intended to land near the Philippines, unfortunately whose new ex-HAMILTON-CLASS US hand-me-down Cutters [2 tote]don't possess any ABM/BMD capabilities. SOMEONE HAS TO SHOOT IT DOWN IFF A MALFUNCTION BECAUSE THE PHILIPPINES CAN'T. * INDIAN DEFENCE FORUM > NORTH KOREA MAY CHANGE ROCKET LAUNCH WINDOW. * RELATED TOPIX > NORTH KOREA MAY DELAY PLANNED ROCKET LAUNCH, TECHNICAL PROBLEMS SUSPECTED. versus * TOPIX > REPORT - NORTH KOREA REPLACING [defective] ROCKET STAGE, LIKELY TO [still] LAUNCH AS PLANNED, this December as scheduled. FYI Japan is planning to keep its BMD-capable JMSDF surface ships on red/high alert to shoot down the DPRK's rocket as necessary. Again, under Jong-un's predecessors the DPRK may NOT have been willing to appear "too successful" in the eyes of watchful overlord China as per any indigenous advanced Missle, Nuke Tests, etc. - IN THE PRESENT, DOES JONG-UN POSSESS THE GUMPTION TO DO WHAT BIG DADDY JONG-IL + FORBEARS COULD NOT DO, OR WOULD NOT DO, VEE MAINLAND CHINA = BEIJING??? * DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > PHILIPPINES NEEDS 48 FIGHTER JETS, SIX SUBMARINES, ANTI-SHIP CRUISE MISSLES: CNAS, vee China in South China Sea. IMO Manila needs to recognize that the above is "JUST FOR STARTERS" AGZ CHINA - widout a strong, innovative, + stable Military-Industrial base of its own, + widout massive US-WEstern military assistance, it will take the PHIL many many decades just to unilater achieve MINIMAL = "SUFFICIENT" DETERRENCE agz China, e.g. agz China's "Coast Guard" = CMS fleet??? THE PHIL SHOULDN'T BE WANTING NEW TOYS IT CANNOT EITHER MAINTAIN OR SUPPORT. |
Posted by: JosephMendiola 2012-12-09 23:42 |