Getbig Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitness Forums
Getbig Main Boards => Politics and Political Issues Board => Topic started by: Dos Equis on March 28, 2013, 11:34:15 AM
-
Now that's what I call saber rattling. :)
US deploys B-2 stealth bombers over South Korea
Published March 28, 2013
FoxNews.com
The U.S. military announced Thursday that two B-2 stealth bombers were sent to South Korea to participate in a training exercise, demonstrating the Pentagon's commitment to defend its ally against threats from North Korea.
The two B-2 Spirit bombers flew more than 6,500 miles from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to South Korea, dropping inert munitions before returning to the U.S., according to a statement released by U.S. Forces Korea.
"The United States is steadfast in its alliance commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea, to deterring aggression, and to ensuring peace and stability in the region," the statement said.
The B-2 Spirit is capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear weapons. The Pentagon said the mission was part of its ongoing Foal Eagle training exercise series, which began March 1 and ends April 30.
The exercise was announced a day after North Korea said it had shut down a key military hotline usually used to arrange passage for workers and goods through the Demilitarized Zone.
The hotline shutdown follows a torrent of bellicose rhetoric in recent weeks from North Korea, which is angry about annual South Korea-U.S. military drills and U.N. sanctions over its nuclear test last month. North Korea calls the drills rehearsal for an invasion; Seoul and Washington say the training is defensive in nature and that they have no intention of attacking.
North Korea's threats and provocations are seen as efforts to provoke the new government in Seoul, led by President Park Geun-hye, to change its policies toward Pyongyang. North Korea's moves at home to order troops into "combat readiness" are seen as ways to build domestic unity as young leader Kim Jong Un strengthens his military credentials.
North Korea previously cut Red Cross phone and fax hotlines with South Korea, and another communication channel with the U.S.-led U.N. command at the border between the Koreas. Three other telephone hotlines used only to exchange information about air traffic were still operating normally Thursday, according to South Korea's Air Traffic Center.
North Korea said there was no need for communication between the countries in a situation "where a war may break out at any moment."
In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters that North Korea's "latest threat to cut off communication links coupled with its provocative rhetoric is not constructive to ensuring peace and stability on the peninsula."
Although North Korea has vowed nuclear strikes on the U.S., analysts outside the country have seen no proof that North Korean scientists have yet mastered the technology needed to build a nuclear warhead small enough to mount on a missile.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/28/us-deploys-b-2-stealth-bombers-over-south-korea/?test=latestnews
-
excellent use of resources.
-
That plump little dictator might need to stop playing "army" at some point lol
-
That plump little dictator might need to stop playing "army" at some point lol
lol. Wurd. Outrageous how he can be fat with all those skinny, hungry people in North Korea. Typical dictator. ::)
But we will turn his little army into dust if he sneezes in our direction. Only thing I'm concerned about are all the troops stationed over there.
-
given our levels of technology - and the cost to house 50 to 100k troops for the past sixty years...
I dont understand the need for bases like that over there, with that many troops - who are targets for the NKoreans.
I mean, we can send in planes from carriers or shoot missiles from hundreds of miles away, and blow up anything in that country inside of 2 hours. That's not even in question. I just don't understand why we'd have tens of thousands of troops just hanging out for all these years.
I'm fine with nuking his silly ass if needed... I might have already bombed a few factories or blown up a city just to stop him from firing rockets at us. However, just leaving troops there? I dont get it.
-
given our levels of technology - and the cost to house 50 to 100k troops for the past sixty years...
I dont understand the need for bases like that over there, with that many troops - who are targets for the NKoreans.
I mean, we can send in planes from carriers or shoot missiles from hundreds of miles away, and blow up anything in that country inside of 2 hours. That's not even in question. I just don't understand why we'd have tens of thousands of troops just hanging out for all these years.
I'm fine with nuking his silly ass if needed... I might have already bombed a few factories or blown up a city just to stop him from firing rockets at us. However, just leaving troops there? I dont get it.
This is why:
If NK invades it will result in the death of many US troops, outraging our public and giving them war fever.
That's why they have always been there.
-
This is why:
If NK invades it will result in the death of many US troops, outraging our public and giving them war fever.
That's why they have always been there.
Wait...
our troops are only there as human shields for the south koreans?
that's a very hurtful claim, ozmo.
Everyone, why is OzmO wrong?
-
Wait...
our troops are only there as human shields for the south koreans?
that's a very hurtful claim, ozmo.
Everyone, why is OzmO wrong?
No, you are incorrect in your word usage and your spin attempt. They are a deterrent.
Human Shield suggests using a person as a shield to prevent yourself from harm during an attack.
SK is not using them as shields and the American public isn't using them as shields.
-
I would have bombed NKorea the FIRST time they threatened us and fired rockets in our direction - i believe it was during a shuttle launch on july 4th? Sheeit, bush and obama have done nothing but pussyfoot around.
If you fire a rocket at me, i'm putting 75 JDAMS into your top 75 govt buildings. No nuke fallout to send refugees over to piss off china. Just a nice local lesson.
So I'm no lightweight on Nkorea. I just don't like the idea of our trooops being there, essentially just waiting for the dictator to say fck it and kill some of them. It's nuts.
-
I would have bombed NKorea the FIRST time they threatened us and fired rockets in our direction - i believe it was during a shuttle launch on july 4th? Sheeit, bush and obama have done nothing but pussyfoot around.
If you fire a rocket at me, i'm putting 75 JDAMS into your top 75 govt buildings. No nuke fallout to send refugees over to piss off china. Just a nice local lesson.
So I'm no lightweight on Nkorea. I just don't like the idea of our trooops being there, essentially just waiting for the dictator to say fck it and kill some of them. It's nuts.
its actually really smart.
- We keep a military presence in the area allowing us to respond to regional threats
- We deter NK from invading SK, which they believe is their right
- We hinder the expansion of communism/dictatorship
One thing no one ever seems to consider: The last thing a dictator wants to do is risk losing their power. None seemed to understand that sucker's pitch with Iraq as well.
-
its actually really smart.
- We keep a military presence in the area allowing us to respond to regional threats
- We deter NK from invading SK, which they believe is their right
- We hinder the expansion of communism/dictatorship
One thing no one ever seems to consider: The last thing a dictator wants to do is risk losing their power. None seemed to understand that sucker's pitch with Iraq as well.
I guess. But what has been the cost of housing 50k to 100k troops in a nation for 60+ years?
I mean, we have 15 trillion in debt. Can we afford that shit? How much $ is S Korea chipping in? Or do we do the "here's a hundred thousand bodyguards for 60 years" act for free? LOL
-
If the DPRK emplodes the humanitarian crisis will be enormous. It will dominate the news for months..no gay marriage bullshit no gun talk no nothing. Its obvious that this may well be the last gasp for them as either the military is calling the shots over the current leader or they both broke and out of food. There is no country capable of logistically supporting the crisis in the North but us...and we're broke. This won't end well. I've spent an enormous amount of time in South Korea and watching prep for this.
-
maybe this is inhumane and all that... but why not pull out the US troops and let whatever happens, happen?
it might be a mess, there will be other nations (in better financial shape) stepping up to capitalize.... And in the end, someone else will exploit the situation for their own goals instead of us... but isn't that a better option than borrowing another 2 trillion from China to fund some crazy "reconstruction" effort in that area?
I mean, at some point, you realize you're 15 trillion in the hole... and you STOP expansion projects, right?
Even donald Trump said we shoudln't be spending hundreds of billion each year to be there -
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/apr/01/donald-trump/donald-trump-says-south-korea-doesnt-pay-us-troop-/
-
Even donald Trump said we shoudln't be spending hundreds of billion each year to be there -
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/apr/01/donald-trump/donald-trump-says-south-korea-doesnt-pay-us-troop-/
and Trump - fcking clueless NBC employee lifetime liberal until 2008 Donald Trump... HE WAS THE GOP FRONTRUNNER!!
-
If the DPRK emplodes the humanitarian crisis will be enormous. It will dominate the news for months..no gay marriage bullshit no gun talk no nothing. Its obvious that this may well be the last gasp for them as either the military is calling the shots over the current leader or they both broke and out of food. There is no country capable of logistically supporting the crisis in the North but us...and we're broke. This won't end well. I've spent an enormous amount of time in South Korea and watching prep for this.
Agree. Would definitely not end well if they do something stupid.
-
maybe this is inhumane and all that... but why not pull out the US troops and let whatever happens, happen?
it might be a mess, there will be other nations (in better financial shape) stepping up to capitalize.... And in the end, someone else will exploit the situation for their own goals instead of us... but isn't that a better option than borrowing another 2 trillion from China to fund some crazy "reconstruction" effort in that area?
I mean, at some point, you realize you're 15 trillion in the hole... and you STOP expansion projects, right?
Even donald Trump said we shoudln't be spending hundreds of billion each year to be there -
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/apr/01/donald-trump/donald-trump-says-south-korea-doesnt-pay-us-troop-/
Because we have an agreement with the South Koreans, we pack up and leave with little warning and that will tarnish our ability to act abroad and deal with other nations through not only war but peaceful means.
It's not that simple.
And who said we will be borrowing the money from China? China holds very little of our outstanding debt, it will probably be the Fed printing of another couple trillion for the effort.
-
Because we have an agreement with the South Koreans, we pack up and leave with little warning and that will tarnish our ability to act abroad and deal with other nations through not only war but peaceful means.
It's not that simple.
And who said we will be borrowing the money from China? China holds very little of our outstanding debt, it will probably be the Fed printing of another couple trillion for the effort.
we renew that agreement every 3-5 years. So we *could* have ended arrangement anytime in the last 60 years. We didn't want to. If we wanted, there could have been a nice withdrawl plan over a decade.
-
This won't end well.
QFT again.
"Back in 1984, the U.S. prepared a campaign plan that would have made possible the destruction of the entire North Korean air force in 100 hours. Retired U.S. Air Force generals say the military could do it even faster today."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/29/what-kind-attack-could-north-korea-launch/
-
QFT again.
"Back in 1984, the U.S. prepared a campaign plan that would have made possible the destruction of the entire North Korean air force in 100 hours. Retired U.S. Air Force generals say the military could do it even faster today."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/29/what-kind-attack-could-north-korea-launch/
It's not their air force, it's the 20,000 or so artillery pieces in hardened bunkers in range of Seoul that is a problem.
-
I guess. But what has been the cost of housing 50k to 100k troops in a nation for 60+ years?
I mean, we have 15 trillion in debt. Can we afford that shit? How much $ is S Korea chipping in? Or do we do the "here's a hundred thousand bodyguards for 60 years" act for free? LOL
South Korea is emerging as one of the most powerful economies and technologically-advanced societies on the planet. It's in our best interest to remain buddy-buddy with them.
You really don't think anything through, do you, genius? It's always funny watching you play armchair quarterback.
We'd be much better off giving the middle finger to Europe and pulling all of our troops out of that dying continent than pulling them out of South Korea, who will be much more strategically important in the coming years.
-
Saw a B2 once circling over Long Island Sound. Probably the most awesome and intimidating thing in the air i have ever seen.
-
By Courtney Kube and Ian Johnston, NBC News
North Korea put its rocket units on standby Friday to attack U.S. military bases in South Korea and the Pacific, after repeated threats one day after two American stealth bombers flew over the Korean Peninsula in a military exercise.
A U.S. official warned that the isolated communist state is “not a paper tiger” and its reaction should not be dismissed as “pure bluster.”
According to South Korea's news agency, Yonhap, North Korea announced Saturday that it had entered a state of war against South Korea. "In a special statement, the North said it will deal with every inter-Korean issue in a wartime manner," Yonhap reported. NBC News could not immediately confirm.
The two Koreas have been in a technical state of war because their 1950-53 conflict ended under an armistice and not a peace treaty.
NBC's Andrea Mitchell examines North Korea's brewing threats and what they mean for neighboring South Korea.
According to North Korea's official KCNA news agency, the country's leader Kim Jong Un “judged the time has come to settle accounts with the U.S. imperialists in view of the prevailing situation” at a midnight meeting of top generals, Reuters reported.
The latest threats come one day after two nuclear-capable stealth bombers flew from Missouri to drop inert munitions on a range in South Korea as part of a major military exercise.
The U.S. official emphasized the danger posed by North Korea’s military and the unpredictable nature of its 30-year-old leader.
“North Korea is not a paper tiger so it wouldn't be smart to dismiss its provocative behavior as pure bluster. What's not clear right now is how much risk Kim Jong Un is willing to run to show the world and domestic elites that he's a tough guy,” said the official, who asked not to be named. “His inexperience is certain -- his wisdom is still very much in question.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a mass demonstration in support of Kim involving tens of thousands of people in the main square of North Korean capital Pyongyang Friday, The Associated Press reported.
Placards read "Let's crush the puppet traitor group" and "Let's rip the puppet traitors to death!"
'War for national liberation'
The state-controlled KCNA also published an article that said the “opportunity for peacefully settling the DPRK-U.S. relations is no longer available as the U.S. opted for staking its fate. Consequently, there remains only the settlement of accounts by a physical means.” DPRK stands for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North's official name.
“A battle to be fought by the DPRK against the U.S. will become a war for national liberation to defend the sovereignty and dignity of the country and, at the same time, a revolutionary war to defend the human cause of independence and the justice of the international community,” the article by “news analyst” Minju Joson said.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency quoted a South Korean military official as saying that there had been “increased movement of vehicles and forces” at missile launch sites in the North. “We are closely watching possibilities of missile launches,” the unnamed official said.
North Korea routinely issues hostile statements but analysts have noted recent remarks have become more belligerent. In December, the North carried out a long-range rocket test and then detonated a nuclear bomb in a test earlier this year.
At a daily news briefing Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China was calling for an easing of tensions.
But some fear the situation could be getting out of control.
North Korea's young leader Kim Jong-un has issued almost daily threats, including the threat of nuclear strikes on Washington, D.C., and Seoul. In addition, Pyongyang has put its troops on combat readiness, warning that war "may break out at any moment." NBC's Ian Williams reports.
"It seems that Kim Jong Un is in the driving seat of a train that has been taken on a joyride," Lee Min-yong, an expert on North Korea at Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul, told Reuters.
Russia, meanwhile, appeared to criticize the U.S. over Thursday's bomber mission.
"We are concerned that alongside the adequate, collective reaction of the U.N. Security Council, unilateral action is being taken around North Korea that is increasing military activity," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow, according to Reuters.
"The situation could simply get out of control; it is slipping toward the spiral of a vicious cycle," he said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
-
Saw a B2 once circling over Long Island Sound. Probably the most awesome and intimidating thing in the air i have ever seen.
i've never seen one, but wow they look totally badass in the youtube clips from air shows...
[ Invalid YouTube link ]
-
They have one in the Wright-Pat Museum in Dayton, OH
You can reach up and touch part of the wing.
-
South Korea is emerging as one of the most powerful economies and technologically-advanced societies on the planet. It's in our best interest to remain buddy-buddy with them.
You really don't think anything through, do you, genius? It's always funny watching you play armchair quarterback.
We'd be much better off giving the middle finger to Europe and pulling all of our troops out of that dying continent than pulling them out of South Korea, who will be much more strategically important in the coming years.
Yes. You need strong strategic partners in various parts of the world. South Korea fits perfectly. You completely disengage and, in time, South Korea's ties to the U.S. wither and they fall under another sphere of influence.
-
It's not their air force, it's the 20,000 or so artillery pieces in hardened bunkers in range of Seoul that is a problem.
Definitely a problem and I am concerned about the safety of our men and women stationed near the DMZ.
Although I do think the outcome of any conflict would be something even more devastating than the Six Day War, and definitely faster than the air campaign during Desert Storm.
BTW, check this out. Pretty cool:
(http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/312*207/20120522_loc_gball01.jpg)
The Sea-Based X-Band Radar, which many local residents have nicknamed the giant floating golf ball, is again part of the view at Pearl Harbor. It was away during North Korea's failed rocket test last month.
'Golf ball' radar heads out after North Korean attack threats
By William Cole
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 02, 2013
LAST UPDATED: 04:11 a.m. HST, Apr 02, 2013
The towering Sea-Based X-band Radar, a fixture at a Ford Island pier for most of the past year, left Pearl Harbor recently for the second time amid heightened concerns about North Korea's missile program.
Navy Region Hawaii said the 280-foot-tall radar tracking system got under way March 22 "to conduct routine systems checks at sea."
CNN, however, said the Pentagon made the decision to send the SBX and at least one ship to monitor North Korea's moves following that country's recent provocative statements threatening to attack the United States and South Korea.
U.S. officials said a Japanese-based U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer capable of shooting down ballistic missiles had been positioned slightly closer to the Korean Peninsula, The Associated Press reported.
The one-of-a-kind, $1 billion SBX is an advanced X-band radar mounted on a mobile, oceangoing, semisubmersible platform.
The Missile Defense Agency, which oversees the SBX as part of the nation's ballistic missile defense system, referred questions Monday to U.S. Northern Command, which couldn't be reached for comment.
Riki Ellison, chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, a nonprofit group dedicated to a robust ballistic missile defense system, said in an opinion piece Saturday that even with military exercises and a show of support for South Korea and Japan, "there is concern that we are not doing all that we can" to defend South Korea, Hawaii and other Pacific locations from a North Korean nuclear missile first strike.
Among other steps, Ellison recommended deployment of the SBX between Hawaii and North Korea to provide fire control data to U.S. Navy Aegis ballistic missile defense ships and ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday that U.S. actions taken in response to North Korea are "prudent" and have not contributed to escalating tensions.
"I would note that despite the harsh rhetoric we're hearing from Pyongyang, we are not seeing changes to the North Korean military posture, such as large-scale mobilizations and positioning of forces," Carney said.
The phased-array radar inside the SBX's inflatable dome tracks missile paths with 45,000 transmission and receiving elements and is so powerful it could see a baseball flying through the air 2,500 miles away, according to the Missile Defense Agency.
The radar, which has the appearance of a giant golf ball on a six-legged platform, sailed out of Pearl Harbor on March 23, 2012, about three weeks ahead of what ended up being a failed April 13 North Korea rocket test.
The SBX returned to Pearl Harbor in late May. Asked at the time whether the radar ship monitored the North Korean launch, Pam Rogers, who was then a Missile Defense Agency spokeswoman, said, "We can't discuss the nature of the SBX's operations."
The Missile Defense Agency said in February 2012 that it planned to sideline the missile tracker by placing it "in a limited test and contingency operations status" to save $500 million over five years.
The change was detailed as part of the Defense Department's budget request for 2013, which proposed $487 billion in cuts over the next 10 years that are separate from sequester cuts.
-
daily show was funny today....
showed how the B2's flew 6500 miles, dropped dummy bombs 10 miles from the NK border.... then flew 6500 miles back home.... BY LUNCH
-
daily show was funny today....
showed how the B2's flew 6500 miles, dropped dummy bombs 10 miles from the NK border.... then flew 6500 miles back home.... BY LUNCH
I was thinking about how funny it would be for Stephen Colbert to go and interview Kim Jong, he'd have no idea he was being made fun of.
-
U.S. General Says North Korea Situation Is 'Volatile' and 'Dangerous'
By MARTHA RADDATZ (@martharaddatz) and LUIS MARTINEZ (@LMartinezABC)
April 2, 2013
Gen. James Thurman, the top U.S. commander in South Korea, said that in his two years on the job he has never seen things as tense as they are right now, telling ABC News the situation on the Korean peninsula as "volatile" and "dangerous."
Thurman said in his exclusive interview with ABC News that his " job is to prevent war," but that his greatest fear is a "miscalculation" that causes "a kinetic provocation." In military parlance, kinetic refers to combat.
Thurman said North Korea's recent rhetoric has made the situation on the Korean peninsula "a dangerous period," but he added, "I think we're managing it quite well because on this side of the line we're very calm. And we're confident."
In an exclusive interview with Martha Raddatz, Gen. James Thurman, the top U.S. commander in South Korea, said he has never seen things as bad as they are now.
Thurman commands the 28,500 American military forces based in South Korea and also serves as the commander of United Nations Command.
The interview was conducted in one of the buildings at Panmunjon along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where South Korean and North Korean military forces face off just steps away from each other.
Thurman believes the "tough talk" from Kim Jong Un, North Korea's young leader, is him "trying to play to his internal audience." However, Thurman said that more importantly Kim is also trying "to intimidate the South Koreans and intimidate the region And we're not going to let that happen."
"I believe they will because we have a right to protect ourselves. And again we're not going to let the North Koreans intimidate us," said Thurman.
Thurman said with the North Korean rhetoric at such a high level his greatest fear is "a miscalculation. An impulsive decision that causes a kinetic provocation."
The general said he has to take North Korea's rhetoric seriously. Asked if he thought they were empty threats Thurman said "No, I don't think that they are. We've got to take every threat seriously."
With so little known about Kim Jong Un, Thurman said he is not sure what his true intentions are :because he's kind of reckless right now with his talk and all that."
North Korea's latest provocation came today when it announced that it was restarting the nuclear reactor at Yongbyon that it had closed down in 2007. The plant could be used to produce additional plutonium for its nuclear weapons program.
While he described North Korea's missiles as their largest threat, Thurman pointed across the DMZ and noted "there's 14,000 tubes of artillery just across this line beyond that far mountain range over there." That artillery poses a direct threat to Seoul, the South Korean capital which is located just 27 miles from the DMZ.
But if North Korea launches an offensive operation against South Korea Thurman said "I think we got to be ready to go."
"We will defend ourselves. We don't want to respond to some type of deceptive move into a rapid escalation into a conflict ... My job is to prevent war."
Thurman said the North Korean ballistic missile threat have the range to potentially hit the United States though "they haven't demonstrated the full capabilities that they can do an intercontinental ballistic missile as far as the delivery... I think they have a long way to go in my assessment."
"I think as we look at the missile portfolio North Korea has, we protect the homeland number one and make sure all our assets are available so we can provide protection if necessary." Thurman would not discuss what those protection options might be though "everything is on the table."
On Monday the U.S. Navy confirmed that it had sent the guided missile destroyer, USS John S McCain, to the waters off of South Korea. The ship carries SM-3 missiles capable of shooting down North Korean ballistic missiles. And today the Pentagon confirmed that an additional destroyer, the USS Decatur, was ordered to remain in the Pacific region.
Thurman explained that the ships' movements, as well as the public acknowledgement that long range American bombers had conducted training missions over South Korea, were about sending a message of deterrence to North Korea.
"Defending the Republic of Korea against aggression is all about deterrence. And I think we've got good deterrence," said Thurman. "I'm confident as the commander here in what we need to do should hostilities break out."
While North Korea's rhetoric has raised tensions Thurman believes the situation will "calm down. I'm confident it will. I'm optimistic about it."
He pointed to the practical reason that North Korea routinely uses its military to work the fields during the farming season "so that they can have a good harvest."
http://abcnews.go.com/International/us-general-north-korea-situation-volatile-dangerous/story?id=18863864&singlePage=true#.UVxdhBkx0wx
-
if obama caves and bribes NKorea with a million barrels of oil to appease their warmongering, I will be just as loud and critical of him as i was of bush.
I think it's time we spanked NKorea once and for all, why not?
-
Definitely a problem and I am concerned about the safety of our men and women stationed near the DMZ.
Although I do think the outcome of any conflict would be something even more devastating than the Six Day War, and definitely faster than the air campaign during Desert Storm.
BTW, check this out. Pretty cool:
(http://media.staradvertiser.com/images/312*207/20120522_loc_gball01.jpg)
The Sea-Based X-Band Radar, which many local residents have nicknamed the giant floating golf ball, is again part of the view at Pearl Harbor. It was away during North Korea's failed rocket test last month.
'Golf ball' radar heads out after North Korean attack threats
By William Cole
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 02, 2013
LAST UPDATED: 04:11 a.m. HST, Apr 02, 2013
The towering Sea-Based X-band Radar, a fixture at a Ford Island pier for most of the past year, left Pearl Harbor recently for the second time amid heightened concerns about North Korea's missile program.
Navy Region Hawaii said the 280-foot-tall radar tracking system got under way March 22 "to conduct routine systems checks at sea."
CNN, however, said the Pentagon made the decision to send the SBX and at least one ship to monitor North Korea's moves following that country's recent provocative statements threatening to attack the United States and South Korea.
U.S. officials said a Japanese-based U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer capable of shooting down ballistic missiles had been positioned slightly closer to the Korean Peninsula, The Associated Press reported.
The one-of-a-kind, $1 billion SBX is an advanced X-band radar mounted on a mobile, oceangoing, semisubmersible platform.
The Missile Defense Agency, which oversees the SBX as part of the nation's ballistic missile defense system, referred questions Monday to U.S. Northern Command, which couldn't be reached for comment.
Riki Ellison, chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, a nonprofit group dedicated to a robust ballistic missile defense system, said in an opinion piece Saturday that even with military exercises and a show of support for South Korea and Japan, "there is concern that we are not doing all that we can" to defend South Korea, Hawaii and other Pacific locations from a North Korean nuclear missile first strike.
Among other steps, Ellison recommended deployment of the SBX between Hawaii and North Korea to provide fire control data to U.S. Navy Aegis ballistic missile defense ships and ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday that U.S. actions taken in response to North Korea are "prudent" and have not contributed to escalating tensions.
"I would note that despite the harsh rhetoric we're hearing from Pyongyang, we are not seeing changes to the North Korean military posture, such as large-scale mobilizations and positioning of forces," Carney said.
The phased-array radar inside the SBX's inflatable dome tracks missile paths with 45,000 transmission and receiving elements and is so powerful it could see a baseball flying through the air 2,500 miles away, according to the Missile Defense Agency.
The radar, which has the appearance of a giant golf ball on a six-legged platform, sailed out of Pearl Harbor on March 23, 2012, about three weeks ahead of what ended up being a failed April 13 North Korea rocket test.
The SBX returned to Pearl Harbor in late May. Asked at the time whether the radar ship monitored the North Korean launch, Pam Rogers, who was then a Missile Defense Agency spokeswoman, said, "We can't discuss the nature of the SBX's operations."
The Missile Defense Agency said in February 2012 that it planned to sideline the missile tracker by placing it "in a limited test and contingency operations status" to save $500 million over five years.
The change was detailed as part of the Defense Department's budget request for 2013, which proposed $487 billion in cuts over the next 10 years that are separate from sequester cuts.
I wonder if they finally got those missile defense destroyers working. I know they weren't doing well in test 7-8 years ago.
-
Meanwhile - we have a concert at the WH w Timberfag
-
if obama caves and bribes NKorea with a million barrels of oil to appease their warmongering, I will be just as loud and critical of him as i was of bush.
I think it's time we spanked NKorea once and for all, why not?
If there ever was a "just" reason to save a people from tyranny NK would be it. Too bad there is no oil there.
I wonder why BUSH and Cheney aren't beating their WMD drum. ::)
-
I wonder if they finally got those missile defense destroyers working. I know they weren't doing well in test 7-8 years ago.
From what I've read they have come a long way.
Land based THAAD, especially.
-
If there ever was a "just" reason to save a people from tyranny NK would be it. Too bad there is no oil there.
I wonder why BUSH and Cheney aren't beating their WMD drum. ::)
We can't save them. They're indoctrinated from pre-school and on. They worship the last 2 leaders as though they were gods. IMO, no matter what we do, they would hate us for life.
China is the pivotal relationship here and depending on what they want is really how things will go.
-
We can't save them. They're indoctrinated from pre-school and on. They worship the last 2 leaders as though they were gods. IMO, no matter what we do, they would hate us for life.
China is the pivotal relationship here and depending on what they want is really how things will go.
We changed the German and Japanese views when we stomped them, not so sure these people wouldn't see us as gods if we did the same to them.
-
We changed the German and Japanese views when we stomped them, not so sure these people wouldn't see us as gods if we did the same to them.
I've never heard of Germans and Japanese being indoctrinated with American/Western hate since they were children.
Not to mention that this has been going on for how long now? With some 60% of the country under 55. Basically, I would argue that a majority have known nothing but hate for the west since they were born.
-
US believes North Korea is moving around mobile missile launchers, officials say
Published April 04, 2013
FoxNews.com
US officials tell Fox News that there is intelligence that North Korea is moving around mid-range mobile missile launchers, indicating a possible test launch. The Pentagon is closely watching the situation.
Earlier Thursday, South Korea said North Korea moved a missile with "considerable range" to its east coast after an unnamed spokesman for the North Korean army warned the U.S. Wednesday that its military has been cleared to wage an attack using "smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear" weapons.
South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin dismissed reports in the Japanese and South Korean media that the missile could be a KN-08, which is believed to be a long-range missile that if operable could hit the United States.
Kim told lawmakers at a hearing that the missile's range is considerable but not far enough to hit the U.S. mainland. He said he did not know the reasons behind the missile movement, saying it "could be for testing or drills."
The range he described could refer to a mobile North Korean missile known as the Musudan, which has a range of 1,800 miles. That would make Japan and South Korea potential targets, but little is known about the missile's accuracy.
. . . .
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/04/04/north-korea-warns-military-cleared-to-wage-nuclear-attack/
-
I wonder if they finally got those missile defense destroyers working. I know they weren't doing well in test 7-8 years ago.
I did some digging and the land based Patriot PAC-3's have been intercepting IRBM's for years and even maneuvering ballistic missiles.
-
I did some digging and the land based Patriot PAC-3's have been intercepting IRBM's for years and even maneuvering ballistic missiles.
that's cool :)
-
Anyone notice a pattern? Anytime headhuntersix says he's going somewhere... trouble shortly follows thereafter
Is headhuntersix some sort of covert spook up to no good? hmmm.... enquiring minds want to know. ???
-
Anyone notice a pattern? Anytime headhuntersix says he's going somewhere... trouble shortly follows thereafter
Is headhuntersix some sort of covert spook up to no good? hmmm.... enquiring minds want to know. ???
Sounds like a good CT. ;)
-
Sounds like a good CT. ;)
I heard a great definition of a conspiracy theorist from... wait for it... wait for it... Alex Jones.
He describes a Conspiracy theorist as:
"Someone who has finally stopped believing the gov BS and lies that are constantly being fed to the public.
-
I heard a great definition of a conspiracy theorist from... wait for it... wait for it... Alex Jones.
He describes a Conspiracy theorist as:
"Someone who has finally stopped believing the gov BS and lies that are constantly being fed to the public.
I heard a great definition of a conspiracy theorist too: Someone who compromises common sense and reality in order to explain events they don't understand or fear.
And people like Alex feed off of them like a demographic.
Moon bots
Reptilian Queen of England
JFK
Chem Trails
9/11
Area 51
just to name a few..... :D
-
I heard a great definition of a conspiracy theorist too: Someone who compromises common sense and reality in order to explain events they don't understand or fear.
And people like Alex feed off of them like a demographic.
Moon bots
Reptilian Queen of England
JFK
Chem Trails
9/11
Area 51
just to name a few..... :D
That's not a great definition of a conspiracy theorist. A conspiracy theorist is someone who compromises common sense and reality in order to explain events they do not want the public to understand.
An even better definition is: ...wait for it, ...wait for it, ...wait for it, ...OzmO
Yes, OzmO, an individual who will warp & twist facts to subvert the credible, while denigrating those who have the audacity to not swallow illogical government sponsored scenarios that defy the laws of nations, physics and nature.
-
;D
That's not a great definition of a conspiracy theorist. A conspiracy theorist is someone who compromises common sense and reality in order to explain events they do not want the public to understand.
An even better definition is: ...wait for it, ...wait for it, ...wait for it, ...OzmO
Yes, OzmO, an individual who will warp & twist facts to subvert the credible, while denigrating those who have the audacity to not swallow illogical government sponsored scenarios that defy the laws of nations, physics and nature.
-
Anyone notice a pattern? Anytime headhuntersix says he's going somewhere... trouble shortly follows thereafter
Is headhuntersix some sort of covert spook up to no good? hmmm.... enquiring minds want to know. ???
I'm still on PCS leave and my new assignment deals with alot of counter narcotics and civil affairs shit in latin America. Unless shit really gets bad I'll be sitting out things in Korea, atleast at the beginning.
-
That's not a great definition of a conspiracy theorist. A conspiracy theorist is someone who compromises common sense and reality in order to explain events they do not want the public to understand.
An even better definition is: ...wait for it, ...wait for it, ...wait for it, ...OzmO
Yes, OzmO, an individual who will warp & twist facts to subvert the credible, while denigrating those who have the audacity to not swallow illogical government sponsored scenarios that defy the laws of nations, physics and nature.
Shit is still shit weather it's wrapped in a tortilla or wrapped in a grape leave.
Forgot to add Birther to the classic definition indicating looney. :D
-
I'm still on PCS leave and my new assignment deals with alot of counter narcotics and civil affairs shit in latin America. Unless shit really gets bad I'll be sitting out things in Korea, atleast at the beginning.
Things are bad anough in DC with Obama - we need you hear.
-
Shit is still shit weather it's wrapped in a tortilla or wrapped in a grape leave.
Forgot to add Birther to the classic definition indicating looney. :D
Things are bad anough in DC with Obama - we need you hear.
I really hate being a spelling Nazi, ...but gee whiz guys. Get it together already. >:(
-
I'm still on PCS leave and my new assignment deals with alot of counter narcotics and civil affairs shit in latin America. Unless shit really gets bad I'll be sitting out things in Korea, atleast at the beginning.
Hmmm... this tells me the next area of turmoil is going to be Latin America.
Trouble seems to follow where ever headhuntersix goes. Just sayin' :-X
-
I really hate being a spelling Nazi, ...but gee whiz guys. Get it together already. >:(
Lol. That's one way to avoid something. Hahahah
-
i've never seen one, but wow they look totally badass in the youtube clips from air shows...
[ Invalid YouTube link ]
I've seen a B2 at Nellis AFB. It's really quite a sight to behold; at times, it's hard to comprehend what's coming at you, because it looks so alien.
-
Only thing missing is the Clint Eastwood byline. :)
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=e887602f-b52a-4deb-bb56-f47135741364&SiteName=Newsmax)
Admiral: War Footing on Korean Peninsula at Highest Level in 50 Years
Tuesday, 09 Apr 2013
U.S. defenses could intercept a ballistic missile launched by North Korea, the top U.S. military commander in the Pacific said Tuesday, as the relationship between the West and the communist government hit its lowest ebb since the end of the Korean War.
Adm. Samuel Locklear, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Kim Jong Un, the country's young and still relatively untested new leader, has used the past year to consolidate his power.
The admiral said Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles represents a clear threat to the United States and its allies in the region.
During an exchange with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Locklear said the U.S. military has the capability to thwart a North Korean strike, but he said a decision on whether a missile should be intercepted should be based on where it is aimed and expected to land.
"I believe we have the ability to defend the homeland, Guam, Hawaii and defend our allies," said Locklear, who added that it wouldn't take long to determine where a missile would strike.
Locklear concurred with McCain's assessment that the tension between North Korea and the West was the worst since the end of the Korean War in the early 1950s. But the admiral insisted that the U.S. military and its allies would be ready if North Korea tried to strike.
"We're ready," Locklear said.
He said North Korea is keeping a large percentage of its combat forces along the demilitarized zone with South Korea, a position that allows the North to threaten U.S. and South Korean civilian and military personnel.
Locklear told the panel, "The continued advancement of the North's nuclear and missile programs, its conventional force posture and its willingness to resort to asymmetric actions as a tool of coercive diplomacy creates an environment marked by the potential for miscalculation. ..."
Increasingly bellicose rhetoric has come from Pyongyang and its leader, with North Korea urging foreign companies and tourists to leave South Korea and warning that the countries are on the verge of a nuclear war.
At the White House, spokesman Jay Carney brushed off the North's declaration that nuclear war was imminent as "more unhelpful rhetoric" and part of a pattern of combative statements and behavior that Pyongyang's leadership has demonstrated for years. He said the U.S. was working with Seoul and Tokyo on the issue.
"It is unhelpful, it is concerning, it is provocative," Carney said.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., told Locklear that the North Korean government's threats "appear to exceed its capabilities, and its use of what capabilities it has against the U.S. or our allies seems highly unlikely and would be completely contrary to the regime's primary goal of survival."
"Nonetheless, its words and actions are not without consequences," Levin said.
The Democrat questioned the Obama administration's decision to delay a long-scheduled operational test of an intercontinental ballistic missile amid the North Korea rhetoric.
Locklear said he agreed with the decision to delay the test.
"We have demonstrated to the people of the region, demonstrated to the leadership of North Korea, our ability and willingness to defend our nation, our people, our allies and our forward deployed forces," Locklear said, citing other steps the U.S. military has taken in recent weeks.
The U.S. has moved two of the Navy's missile-defense ships closer to the Korean peninsula, and a land-based system is being deployed to the Pacific territory of Guam. The U.S. also called attention to the annual U.S.-South Korean military exercise that included a practice run over South Korea by B-2 stealth bombers.
Levin mentioned that President Barack Obama recently talked to China's new president, Xi Jinping, about the U.S. efforts to deal with North Korea. Locklear said he has not had similar conversations with his Chinese counterparts.
In an exchange with Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, Locklear acknowledged a hotline connection between Washington and Beijing similar to what existed with Moscow during the Cold War, and said both sides need to move forward in continuing conversations.
Locklear told Levin that he would explore the possibility of making direct contact with his military counterparts in China and communicate with them the seriousness of the situation on the Korean peninsula.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., insisted that North Korea's nuclear program could come to a "grinding halt" if China pressured Pyongyang.
Reflecting the uneasy relationship, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked Locklear if he considers China a "friend or a foe." Locklear said neither.
"I consider (China), at this point in time, someone we have to develop a strategic partnership with to manage competition between two world powers," Locklear said.
Locklear said Kim Jong Un has adopted pages from the playbook used by his father, Kim Jong Il, but his approach differs in a significant way. Kim Jong Un's father, as well as his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, made sure they had "off ramps" that gave them a way to exit a confrontation, particularly if the U.S. and its allies were willing to offer concessions. Kim Jong Un, Locklear said, appears not to have given himself channels that would help him ratchet down the tensions.
The admiral described Kim Jong Un as "an impetuous young leader (who) continues to focus on provocation rather than on his own people."
The scope of Locklear's responsibilities as the top officer at Pacific Command extend beyond the Korean peninsula, and he told the committee that his command is closely watching the proliferation of submarines among countries including China and Vietnam. Locklear said there are an estimated 300 submarines being operated around the world, although he noted that no country there has an undersea force as capable as the United States'.
Both Russia and China are expected soon to deploy new ballistic missile submarines capable of threatening the United States, Locklear said. India is also expanding its submarine force, and Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and South Korea have launched, or soon will, modern submarines.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/US-US-NKorea/2013/04/09/id/498600