 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
US ready for NKorean missile: military commander
Washington (AFP) July 2, 2009 The United States is ready to intercept any North Korean long-range missile, a top US military commander said Thursday, as Pyongyang further tested international patience with fresh launches. "The nation has a very, very credible ballistic-missile defense capability," the commander of US Northern Command, General Victor Renuart, told The Washington Times. "Our ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California ... give me a capability that if we really are threatened by a long-range ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) that I've got high confidence that I could interdict that flight before it caused huge damage to any US territory." Washington has said it is not ruling out the possibility of a North Korean long-range missile launch toward Hawaii on or around July 4, the US Independence Day, although the Pentagon has expressed doubts about such a scenario. But Renuart, commander of US NORTHCOM and the missile launch-monitoring US-Canada North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), warned "we ought to assume there might be one... and continue to be prepared and ready." His comments came as South Korean military officials said Pyongyang test-fired four short-range missiles Thursday, further fueling tensions sparked by the North's nuclear standoff with the international community. The launches were "not unexpected," said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman. "North Korea is looking for attention," added a US defense official who requested anonymity. It was the first military action by the hardline communist state since the United Nations on June 12 imposed tougher sanctions for its May 25 nuclear test. President Barack Obama had assured in late June that the United States is "fully prepared" for a potential North Korean missile launch toward US territory. In addition to long-range interceptors in Alaska and California, the United States also has ground- and sea-based defense systems in the Asia Pacific, including ground-based Patriot anti-missile defenses in South Korea, and US Navy Aegis system missile-defense ships deployed to waters close to Japan. Thursday's North Korean missile launches came as a US delegation met Chinese officials in Beijing for talks on boosting UN sanctions imposed in June after the Stalinist state's May nuclear test. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Japan upgrades missile-detection systemTokyo (UPI) Jul 2, 2009 A new $935 million project called the Japan Aerospace Defense Ground Environment has been initiated to improve the country's automatic air warning and defense control system. JADGE has replaced the Base Air Defense Ground Environment, said Japan's air arm, the Air Self-Defense Force. Japan's official military policy of Self-Defense Only does not allow the nation's armed forces to ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook