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from the plans-are-for-next-launch-to-put-DC-in-oven dept.
North Korea's latest missile launch appears to put Washington, D.C., in range (archive)
North Korea appears to have launched another intercontinental ballistic missile, the Pentagon said Tuesday, with experts calculating that Washington, D.C., is now technically within Kim Jong Un's reach.
[...] The missile launched early Wednesday local time traveled some 620 miles and reached a height of about 2,800 miles before landing off the coast of Japan, flying for a total of 54 minutes. This suggested it had been fired almost straight up — on a "lofted trajectory" similar to North Korea's two previous intercontinental ballistic missile tests. [...] If it had flown on a standard trajectory designed to maximize its reach, this missile would have a range of more than 8,100 miles, said David Wright, co-director of the global security program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. [...] The U.S. capital is 6,850 miles from Pyongyang.
Although it may be cold comfort, it is still unlikely that North Korea is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the U.S. mainland. Scientists do not know the weight of the payload the missile carried, but given the increase in range, it seems likely that it carried a very light mock warhead, Wright said. "If true, that means it would not be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to this long distance, since such a warhead would be much heavier," he said in a blog post.
(Score: 0, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 29 2017, @04:59AM (3 children)
That's why you bomb them before they launch! What the fuck are we waiting for?? China can't do a damn thing, and they won't anyway. They hate Korea too. They only needed the buffer zone to protect them from Japan a long time ago. If the Koreans are exterminated, nobody is going to give a shit. Give the land to the Palestinians...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 29 2017, @05:11AM
Better idea, we ship you over there so you can explain things to their great leader. I'm sure you'll do well, don't worry you have our support!
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 29 2017, @08:39AM (1 child)
That's exactly what Kim is trying to get Trump to do. And vice versa.
China was their friend for many years. At the moment, China is mostly neutral, they don't exactly like what NK is doing, but they are not pissed off enough to actually do anything about it.
The whole battle of words between Kim and Trump is an attempt by both sides to get the other side to shoot first. Because when that happens, China will be forced to take a side, and they will most likely take the side against whoever shot first.
If the US shoots first, Kim will have his big strong friend back. That's what he wants.
If NK shoots first, Kim Jung Un is gone.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 30 2017, @11:39PM
I have no concerns about China. We can wipe them out too. The only effective response China could mount is to shut down the factory that makes Trump's ball caps, and maybe the Walmart factory, but that would be going to far.