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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) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 29 2017, @05:16AM (10 children)
I'd be willing to bet that no part of the US (probably not even Guam/N Marianas) is within range of anything NKean and probably won't be for years. Attaching functional nukes to these "probably can't hit the US" missiles is likely decades away. Not sure why the media is hellbent on portraying NK as some sort of scary nuclear power when they are merely a ridiculous farce. If the crazy fat kid is stupid enough to attack SK or Japan (the only adversaries within range), it would be with conventional weapons or fake nukes. He might kill a few thousand (tens of thousands at the very outside) of South Koreans with conventional missiles before his entire cult of a country was reduced to a sheet of glass within a few hours. We have nothing do worry about, clickbait headlines not withstanding.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday November 29 2017, @07:21AM (5 children)
pump a mixture of tritium and deuterium into the middle of the plutonium pit of an implosion device.
Not to add power due to fusion, but to supply lots of tasty neutrons to get that cascade going NK-nuking good.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Wednesday November 29 2017, @08:25AM (4 children)
That scares nobody. The Americans can do it, the Russkies can do it. So can the French, Brits, Kikes, Chinks, and even at one time the South Africans.
All the Norks have is A.Q. Khan and the crosshairs pointed at their foreheads. Pakistan also has the crosshairs pointed at their foreheads. Let's hope that either of them try something funny. All of the above except the Norks and the Pakis are worth something to society.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 29 2017, @04:24PM (3 children)
If you are going to use slurs, then slur everybody in that list. What's the USA slur? Yankees? Rednecks? Cowboys? And the french? "Flauffers"?
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 29 2017, @05:20PM
"Deplorables." That always gets them riled up.
(Score: 3, Informative) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday November 29 2017, @06:32PM
And I'm proud
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Wednesday November 29 2017, @10:43PM
"Frog" is the go-to for French slurs. Like many slurs with old origins, nobody knows exactly where it came from. Some people say it's because they eat frogs, others because one of the French flags had a frog on it. I think it's because they they sound and smell like frogs. So, frogs, is the default slur for the French.
Although I am partial to the eleborate "cheese-eating surrender-monkeys" coined by Homer Simpson.
(Score: 3, Informative) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday November 29 2017, @07:29AM (3 children)
FTFY
Seoul is about 35 miles from the DMV. Just on the other side of the DMV is a vast quantity of short-range missiles.
Should war break out Seoul will be transformed into a lake of fire.
For extra credit, NK has VX. It's an "area denial weapon" because it is an oily liquid. Inhale its vapor or get some on your skin, if you have an Atapen you could just walk away from the attack, but who carries Atapens anymore?
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 29 2017, @08:47AM (1 child)
Good thing I don't live in Seoul and need to get my drivers license...
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday November 29 2017, @06:36PM
Having had many unpleasant dealing at the DMV I'm pretty sure NK isn't much different.
(Score: 2, Informative) by khallow on Wednesday November 29 2017, @05:36PM
Maybe. Atropine is not a cure in the traditional sense. It is a rival nerve agent for VX (and similar compounds) and has its own side effects. Wikipedia [wikipedia.org] had this to say:
So walking away is not guaranteed.