North Korea missile showdown!

[The diplomat]

North Korea is preparing to test an ICBM and the US has activated our missile defense system.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/06/20/nkorea.missile.reut/index.html

I hope we shoot the missile right out of the sky if NK does launch! We need to show the NK that their missiles can't hurt us.

[Verto]

Since when does the missile defense work?

[Arrian]

Activating a system that doesn't work I love it.

I wonder, is our government dumb enough to humiliate itself by trying to use the system in a real-world situation (as opposed to rigged "tests")?

-Arrian

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by Verto
Since when does the missile defense work?

Well, we have a network of radars and interceptors in Alaska and 2 Aegis cruisers in the Pacific. Do you think we would activate such an extensive system if it had no chance of working?

Let NK try a launch, we'll find out if the missile defense system works or not! We should thank the NK. They are about to give us a real world opportunity to test our missile defense system. Heck, we probably would not have to actually launch any interceptors. Just tracking the NK missile in a real launch with our radars would give us invaluable data.

[Lorizael]

Wait, there are people that actually think our missile defense system is effective?

[Japher]

poor NK, so ignored

[DanS]

If we were to knock it out of the sky, would that be cause for war, as, for instance sinking somebody's boat is?

Just curious.

Also, I don't think it would be in our interest to actually use the missile defense system at this time. It would put us in a spiral of constant countermeasure development.

[Geronimo]

if it doesn't work they should use it to gain as much data as possible towards developing a working system.

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by DanS
If we were to knock it out of the sky, would that be cause for war, as, for instance sinking somebody's boat is?

I don't think so because it would be a defensive move. Besides, NK would be pretty dumb to declare on the US for something like that.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by The diplomat


I don't think so because it would be a defensive move. Besides, NK would be pretty dumb to declare on the US for something like that.

declarations of war are meaningless in this case anyway right? isn't NK technically still at war with the united nations and SK? Or did the armistice leave NK only technically at war with SK and nobody else?

[Whoha]

Originally posted by DanS
If we were to knock it out of the sky, would that be cause for war, as, for instance sinking somebody's boat is?

Just curious.

Also, I don't think it would be in our interest to actually use the missile defense system at this time. It would put us in a spiral of constant countermeasure development.

if they announce the test as per international law, then it would be a violation of the ceasefire on our part. otherwise no.

and this test, work or fail, will be quite useful.

[DanS]

We can do the necessary tests on our own. We don't need to do it on NK's schedule.

[General Ludd]

Can the defense system target missles on the other side of the world? I don't imagine north korea is going to 'test' an ICBM by launching it at the US

[DanS]

The last one they launched over Japan into the Pacific.

Almost anywhere in the Pacific for these long-range missiles is at the US.

If it makes it very far, Alaska's interceptors would be close enough.

[yin26]

I read this as "North Korea missile shotdown!" Now THAT would be a thread!