Made a new thread because the Iraq discussion is pretty good.

OK, now it gets interesting. We modified the AEGIS ABM system to take out the disabled NSA satellite... now could the Japanese have modified the system to try to down a ballistic missile on assent?

This will be tricky.. The Taepodong flight profile has a first stage that burns for approximately 2 minutes. Second stage burns for 110 seconds. Third stage about a minute. To get it, you will have to intercept before the second stage fires.

Using the Aviation Advisories the NK have issued, the first stage impact area is in the Sea of Japan about 90 miles off the Japanese coast.

http://www.icao.int/icao/en/nr/2009/pio200902_e.pdf

To hit it on the way up, a Japanese AEGIS ship will have to be at least on the Western edge of the target area, if not closer to the NK coast. This would put it about in the middle of the Sea of Japan, well within range of North Korean aircraft and harassment.

TOKYO (AFP) – Japan gave its military the green light on Friday to shoot down any incoming North Korean rocket, with tensions high ahead of a planned launch that the US and allies say will be an illegal missile test.

Japanese and US warships have already deployed ahead of the April 4-8 window, when the secretive North has said it will launch a communications satellite -- warning that shooting it down would be seen as an act of war.

But South Korea, Japan and the United States have all warned the North that any launch would be unacceptable, amid fears the regime is actually intending to test a long-range missile that could reach North America.

The security council in Japan, officially pacifist since the end of World War II, decided ahead of time to shoot down any incoming missile that could hit its territory rather than wait until a launch.

"The security council this morning decided to issue a destruction order in advance," said Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada. "We will do our best to handle any flying object from North Korea."

The North said Thursday that even referring a launch to the United Nations would ruin the long-running and erratic six-nation nuclear disarmament talks, during which North Korea has already tested one missile and an atomic bomb.

US National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair said the North wanted to show it had the technology to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The North is believed to be preparing to test a Taepodong-2 that could hit Alaska.

"North Korea is attempting to demonstrate an ICBM capability through a space launch," Blair said.

Japan has announced no plans to strike the North Korean rocket unless it appears to pose a direct threat, for example due to a mishap that could send an errant missile or debris flying toward the country.

"There are various scenarios -- for example, a case of failure," Hamada said. "It's extremely unpleasant that an object flies over our territories."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090327/ts_...leleadwrap

Has N Korea announced a planned path for the missile to take? When you say the fist stage impact area is in the Sea of Japan, you mean the booster is supposed to fall there, right? And you're correct, this could get very interesting very fast.

Another thing, to N Korea it seems everything we do is a potential act of war and we've never called them on it. Maybe it's about time. I'm telling ya, Russia and China need to settle down the N Koreans or they'll learn a hard lesson.

(03-27-2009 09:26 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  Has N Korea announced a planned path for the missile to take? When you say the fist stage impact area is in the Sea of Japan, you mean the booster is supposed to fall there, right? And you're correct, this could get very interesting very fast.

First stage of the booster falls in the Sea of Japan. Second stage takes it over the Japanese islands, it falls into the Pacific about 800 miles off the coast of Japan. Calculating the trajectory based upon the impact zones gives you this.

If anyone can do it the Japanese can. BTW, If Japan wanted, how long would it take Japan to make a Nuclear bomb? I can't remember but I don't think it would take them very long.