North Korea launching ICBM or Sattelite

Balkan-MiG

Balkan-MiG

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SEOUL, South Korea: North Korea told international aviation authorities that it would launch a satellite in early April, firing a rocket that can also be used to deliver a warhead as far as the American mainland, according to the North's official media.
The notification was the latest in a series of warnings and signals North Korea has given in recent weeks about such a launch. This time, Pyongyang said it gave notice to the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization to "ensure the safety of flights and sea vessels," the North's state-run Korea Central News Agency said Thursday.

The report did not say when the launch would take place. But South Korea's national news agency Yonhap, quoting unnamed government sources, said North Korea told the international organizations that the launching, deemed by Washington as "very unhelpful," will take place between April 4 and 8.

On Feb. 24, North Korea announced that it planned to put its Kwangmyongsong-2, or Lodestar-2, satellite into orbit aboard its Eunha-2 rocket. But U.S. and South Korean officials believe that the launching will be a cover for testing the North's Taepodong-2 intercontinental ballistic missile. Others have suggested that the North Korean actions may be a tactic to pressure the nascent Obama administration in its dealings with Pyongyang.


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[Above] The Kwangmyongsong-2 being launched in 1998


Whether the rocket is a rocket for a missile or satellite, the technology is the same, officials and experts said. Thus a successful launching of the rocket would demonstrate the North's missile prowess to a region that has grown increasingly uneasy over its long-range and nuclear threats.

The North tested its first nuclear bomb in 2006 and has since stalled international talks aimed at ending its nuclear programs.


American officials are braced for a launch.

"The North Koreans announced that they were going to do a space launch, and I believe that that's what they intend," National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.
Blair said the technology North Korea uses for its space launch vehicle "is indistinguishable from intercontinental ballistic missiles."
"And if a three-stage space launch vehicle works, then that could reach not only Alaska, Hawaii but also part of what the Hawaiians call 'the Mainland' and what the Alaskans call 'the Lower 48,'" he said.

Link: http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/12/asia/12north.php

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The last one they "put up into space." They claimed that it managed to go to space and deploy a satellite which allgedly sent patriotic tunes back to earth. We never intercepted any signals from any North Korean satellite but we did manage to observe their lovely rocket splash into the sea.
 
North Korea still has not reached the 'space-age', unlike Russian, Chinese and American adversaries. They are still developing their space technology.

Im looking forward to seeing if the test will be a sucess. But then again, it could be a cover up for a ICBM test [As said in the article].
 
It is a cover up for an ICBM test. The technology is virtually identical and North Korea knows the power of having South Korea hostage. They want to be able to hold the United States itself hostage as well. That's their idea.
In fact by threatening the US directly, they probably also hope to gain the support of a lot of the leftist groups within South Korea as well. I think North Korea's pretty smart.
 
Or it could simply be a sattelite launch test, we will find out.

But a ICBM test would be more practical concerning North Korea. Apparently, it can target the American mainland, though that might be incorect. But it would most definitely be able to target Seoul and other South Korean cities.

Yes, Kim Jong Il is playing the game well. I doubt that the White House would be too happy if Seoul was overthrown by leftists. Wonder how the Kremlin would react, though? Moscow and Pyongyang have always had good relationships, both during the USSR and the Russian Federation.
 
BS. It's not a satellite launch test. The Dear Leader wants an ICBM and and thats what it is. The only question is does he have the technology to make it viable.
 
It could be, but its most likely the latter.

And they do, I remember reading about North Korea's ICBM test in 2006. They probably got the technology from Russia/USSR and China.
 
But can they make it work. 13th might know for sure but I think at least some of their outside support has dried up.
 
What, the Sattelite or ICBM?

It seems that the 2006 test failed, so this might be the second test to see if it works now.
 
What do you think the probrability is this could be a warhead instead of satellite?
I'm not sure there's anyway to tell, is there?
 
I heard a lot of if's & maybe's, but no absolute thoughts.

I bet they won't. Instead, they want the world to know and then they have the tiger by it's tail. Play it up. Then, likely cancel the launch. But if they launch it, who knows.
 
The launch will most likely go ahead. As for satellite, they haven't got the technology to put a satellite worth half a damn into space in the first place so the cost of putting a rocket into space to put junk into orbit doesn't make any logical sense. Obviously it's an ICBM.
As for missile technology, parts etc., North Korea is definitely on China's sh*t list. Basically their saber rattling makes the Chinese who prefer stability uneasy. The Chinese see that the existence of North Korea is in their best interest and probably will give support necessary to keep the country from imploding but technology and parts for missiles is something the Chinese have nothing to gain from and a lot to lose from. If anything it'll make dealings with the US more awkward than it should be and as trade partners that's never a good thing.
As for Russian support, I don't know why the Russians would go for this. It's not like the North Koreans have any oil money. They have drug money but not enough of it.
So basically:
- It's an ICBM test.
- It's most probably a purely North Korean development based on old Soviet stuff.
- It's purpose is to make continental United States a viable target.

And Balkan-MiG, you don't need to develop new missiles to attack Seoul from North Korea. You can do that with the regular Scuds and also with heavy artillery.
 
DPRK collaborated greatly with the Soviet Union during the latters existence. I wouldnt be surprised if the USSR shared some of their space technology with them. But seeing as the USSR collapsed, so did the DPRK's economy, making it unwise to continue development of something so expensive.

But yeah, its more likely a ICBM test.

I never said they needed new technology?

wtf...
 
The USSR has been gone since 1991.
The North Koreans always seem to find the money for weapons and missile development. Oh yeah, and their nuke program.
 
N. Korea has a nuke program?!?!?!? i thought it was their "space program"... i had no idea that N. Korea was so infatuated with technology... i thought that was S. Korea with their unique understanding with stem cell research.... i guess N. Korea is jealous that the south is smarter than the north....
 
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