{"id":884,"date":"2016-04-20T22:05:25","date_gmt":"2016-04-20T22:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/dcss\/?p=884"},"modified":"2016-04-21T23:23:50","modified_gmt":"2016-04-21T23:23:50","slug":"north-korea-mb25-musudan-missile-exploded-damaged-launcher-in-failed-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/dcss\/2016\/04\/20\/north-korea-mb25-musudan-missile-exploded-damaged-launcher-in-failed-test\/","title":{"rendered":"NORTH KOREA BM25 MUSUDAN MISSILE EXPLODED, DAMAGED LAUNCHER IN FAILED TEST"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"musudan_missile\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sourced : Freebeacon<\/p>\n

BY: Bill Gertz<\/p>\n

North Korea\u2019s first attempt to test-launch a new intermediate-range missile last week failed after the Musudan blew up shortly after launch, causing a huge fireball that damaged the mobile launcher, according to American defense officials.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still assessing the specifics of it but I can tell you that it was a fiery, catastrophic attempt at a launch,\u201d Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters Friday. \u201cIt was not successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The test failure on Friday represents a setback for North Korea\u2019s largely untested long-range nuclear missile forces that include launch pad-based Taepodong-2 missiles, and two road-mobile systems, the KN-08 and Musudan. The Pentagon last month also confirmed that a newer long-range mobile missile, the KN-14, was unveiled during a recent military parade. North Korea also is developing submarine-launched nuclear missiles.<\/p>\n

U.S. strategic defense surveillance systems, both airborne and space-based, closely monitored the Musudan test and videotaped the explosion during the attempted launch from a beach on North Korea\u2019s east coast.<\/p>\n

In addition to damaging the launcher, the explosion may have injured or killed North Korean missile technicians near the site.<\/p>\n

Two road-mobile Musudan launchers were set up for the test, but the second was not fired after the explosion, officials familiar with reports of the launch said.<\/p>\n

The missile is estimated to have a range of up to 2,500 miles, enough to hit the western Pacific island of Guam, a key strategic military base in the Pentagon\u2019s new pivot to Asia.<\/p>\n

Army Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, nominee for commander of U.S. Forces Korea, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that the North Korean missile program is advancing despite testing and other problems.<\/p>\n

Asked by Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) about North Korea\u2019s intercontinental ballistic missile program, Brooks said: \u201cAt the present time, Senator, I think that they\u2019re struggling with getting the program up and operational.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s very clear through the parades that they\u2019ve done, what systems they have and some of the attempted launches that they have not had success in, over time, I believe we\u2019re going to see them acquire these capabilities if they\u2019re not stopped,\u201d the four-star general said.<\/p>\n

One diplomatic source familiar with reports of the test failure said the likely cause of the explosion, which occurred within five to six seconds after launch, was a faulty fuel system or turbo pump failure.<\/p>\n

The Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile is an indigenous variant of the Russian SS-N-6 submarine-launched ballistic missile, known by Moscow as the R-27, that the North obtained covertly from Russia sometime in the 1990s.<\/p>\n

The missile blew up about 300 feet above the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe North Koreans seemed to just believe it would succeed because the R-27 SLBM of former Soviet Union was one of the most tested nuclear warhead delivery systems ever produced, and North Korea had already done a lot of ground tests,\u201d the source said. \u201cHowever, a real launching test is totally different from the ground test.\u201d<\/p>\n

Western intelligence agencies do not know the ultimate cause of the launch failure. \u201cAnd the North Koreans probably don\u2019t either,\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n

Brooks, the likely next commander of U.S. Forces Korea is currently commander of U.S. Army Forces Pacific.<\/p>\n

In his written statement to the committee, Brooks disclosed that the threat posed by North Korea under its current leader Kim Jong Un is increasing.<\/p>\n

\u201cKim Jong Un\u2019s assumption of power following his father\u2019s death in December 2011 has led to a more aggressive and unpredictable North Korea,\u201d Brooks stated. \u201cHe exercises complete dominion over his subordinates in a humiliating and brutal fashion including purges, public demotions and re-promotions of military leaders, and brutal public executions.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Brooks, the North Korean missile arsenal includes several hundred short-range Toksa and Scuds and medium-range Nodongs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe developmental IRBM, Musudan, though untested and potentially unreliable as a weapon, could also be launched at targets in the region,\u201d he stated, adding that the KN-08 \u201cis capable of targeting the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n

The test in February of a Taepodong-2 space launcher \u201csignificantly contributes to North Korea\u2019s long-range ballistic missile development, since they have many shared technologies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

North Korea has also been developing a submarine-launched ballistic missile since at least May 2015. The new SLBM \u201chighlights its commitment to diversifying its missile forces and nuclear delivery options, while strengthening missile force survivability,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cIf this system becomes operational, it will have a security impact to the Pacific region.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last week, Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of the U.S. Northern Command, told a House hearing that the U.S. intelligence community assesses a \u201clow probability\u201d North Korea can deploy a successful road-mobile missile with a nuclear warhead capable of reaching the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the commander accountable for defending the homeland, I choose to assess that he does have that capability,\u201d Gortney said. \u201cAnd I think it\u2019s the prudent course of action; it\u2019s what I think the American people would like me to base my readiness assessment on to be prepared to engage it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gortney, who is in charge of ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California, said his forces are ready to engage any North Korean missiles fired toward the country.<\/p>\n

North Korea has not tested the \u201cend-to-end\u201d long-range missile capability, although the space launcher placed a satellite in orbit, Gortney told the House Armed Services subcommittee on strategic forces.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the re-entry vehicle that needs to go with it, the solid rocket metal fuel, we need to see that end-to-end test,\u201d Gortney said Thursday. \u201cBut I\u2019m not waiting for that end-to-end test on my assessment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Musudan and KN-08 also posed greater threats because of the road mobility.<\/p>\n

\u201cPreviously, when North Korea assembles a rocket, we have intel that we can detect through all forms of intel,\u201d Gortney said. \u201cWhenever you get into a road-mobile target, it\u2019s very, very difficult to be able to track, quickly set up, and shoot. Most of my career I dropped bombs for a living and mobile targets are what always cause me to pause. And that\u2019s exactly why this is a tough challenge for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the Senate hearing Tuesday, Brooks said he was \u201cvery concerned\u201d by reports of joint missile development cooperation between North Korea and Iran.<\/p>\n

The military\u2019s plan to counter North Korean missiles is under development and called the \u201c4D Strategy\u201d for detect, defend, disrupt, and destroy North Korean missile threats.<\/p>\n

Brooks said the Army\u2019s advanced missile defense system, Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, is needed in South Korea, and talks have been underway for deployment.<\/p>\n

Under pressure from China, South Korea delayed deploying the system until February when the North Koreans conducted a Taepodong-2 flight test.<\/p>\n

North Korea also is continuing to build nuclear weapons and has conducted four underground tests, in 2006, 2009, 2013, and in January.<\/p>\n

South Korean news reports this week stated that increased vehicular traffic at a North Korean nuclear test site indicated another nuclear test blast is being readied.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my opinion that North Korea is moving in the wrong direction and the changes that we\u2019ve seen are all provocative and more dangerous,\u201d Brooks said during the hearing, noting North Korea\u2019s \u201cwillingness to draw blood, to sink vessels, to fire some of their numerous artillery systems into population areas, to put land mines outside of Republic of Korea camps.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sourced : Freebeacon BY: Bill Gertz North Korea\u2019s first attempt to test-launch a new intermediate-range missile last week failed after the Musudan blew up shortly after launch, causing a huge fireball that damaged the mobile launcher, according to American defense officials. \u201cWe\u2019re still assessing the specifics of it but I can tell you that it… Continue reading NORTH KOREA BM25 MUSUDAN MISSILE EXPLODED, DAMAGED LAUNCHER IN FAILED TEST<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[688,689,692,693,690,636,499,694,696,695,691,687],"class_list":["post-884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-defence-industry","tag-asia","tag-guam","tag-kn-08","tag-kn-14","tag-musudan","tag-north-korea","tag-pentagon","tag-r-27","tag-soviet-union","tag-ss-n-6","tag-taepodong-2","tag-u-s-forces-korea","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/dcss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/dcss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/dcss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/dcss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/dcss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=884"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/dcss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":896,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/dcss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884\/revisions\/896"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/dcss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/dcss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/dcss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/dcss\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}