Landing the Big One

Landing the Big One

Monday, July 10, 2006

North Korean missile launch: Some concerned, others say "No worries"

At least I think my post title sums up this Aviation Week & SpaceTechnology report except for this part:
U.S. defense officials were tight-lipped about the types of missiles launched last week and how the vehicles were detected and tracked. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Brian Maka, a Defense Dept. official, said the Pentagon does not discuss military forces' "alert status," the types of detection assets used or missile trajectories, citing classification of "collection systems."

HOWEVER, ALLIES IN THE PACIFIC region say a number of missiles were being prepared for launch from the northern part of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea) in May, and that those activities were discovered by a U.S. Keyhole-series reconnaissance satellite. Japan positioned two Aegis cruisers nearby, and the U.S. undoubtedly had Defense Support Program satellites, surveillance aircraft such as the RC-135S Cobra Ball and the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, the Cobra Judy ship and myriad radars detecting and tracking the tests.
Not that AW&ST would ever reveal any "sources and technique" info...

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