North Korea leader Kim guides test of new anti-aircraft weapon

[webfact]

North Korea leader Kim guides test of new anti-aircraft weapon

REUTERS

 

FILE PHOTO : North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the intermediate-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2's launch test with Ri Pyong Chol (R) in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) May 22, 2017. REUTERS/KCNA/File Photo

 

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has supervised the test of a new anti-aircraft weapon system and ordered its mass production and deployment throughout the country, the state news agency reported on Sunday, after weeks of defiant ballistic missile tests.

 

The North's KCNA news agency did not report the exact nature of the weapon or the time of the test but said it was organised by the Academy of National Defence Science, a blacklisted agency that is believed to be developing missiles and nuclear weapons.

 

The North has been pushing to develop a wide range of weapon systems since early last year at an unprecedented pace including a long-range missile capable of striking the mainland United States and has in recent weeks tested its intermediate-range ballistic missile, making some technical advances.

 

The reclusive state rejects U.N. and unilateral sanctions by other states against its weapons programme as an infringement of its right to self defense and says the programme is necessary to counter U.S. aggression.

 

It last conducted a ballistic missile test a week ago.

 

The United States denies any intention to attack the North.

 

"Kim Jong Un ... watched the test of a new type of anti-aircraft guided weapon system organized by the Academy of National Defence Science," KCNA said on Sunday.

 

"This weapon system, whose operation capability has been thoroughly verified, should be mass-produced to deploy all over the country ... so as to completely spoil the enemy's wild dream to command the air, boasting of air supremacy and weapon almighty," it said.

 

KCNA said Kim was accompanied by his military aides and listed the three men believed to be the top officials in the country's rapidly accelerating missile programme.

 

They are Ri Pyong Chol, a former top air force general; Kim Jong Sik, a veteran rocket scientist; and Jang Chang Ha, the head of the Academy of National Defence Science, a weapons development and procurement centre.

 

North Korea said on Monday it had successfully tested what it called an intermediate-range ballistic missile that met all technical requirements and could now be mass-produced, although outside officials and experts questioned the extent of its progress.

 

On Tuesday, the head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said that if left unchecked, North Korea is on an "inevitable" path to obtaining a nuclear-armed missile capable of striking the United States.

 

Appearing at a Senate hearing, Defense Intelligence Agency Director Vincent Stewart declined to offer a time estimate but Western experts believe the North still needed several years to develop such a weapon.

 

(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by James Dalgleish)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-29

[boomerangutang]

Give the punk a large box of firecrackers and let them blow up in his fat face.

[Salerno]

Quote

It last conducted a ballistic missile test a week ago.

 

Bit slow, they just launched another into the Sea of Japan. Boys and their toys ...

[oxo1947]

North Korea have a combined active and reserve military of 7 million soldiers.

The U.S.A. only have a combined number of 2 million.

 

So if it came to war America would outweigh the Koreans 3 to 1........

[darksidedog]

So Kim is bolstering his defences as fast as he can. This lunatic will not back down on missile and nuclear development. He is expecting an armed confrontation and is the sort of uncaring despot who will spend every life in his country if needed. This is going to get very nasty. It is just a question of when.

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

North Korea leader Kim

this guy is deranged (and looks it) ; obsessed with weapons while his people (he likely considers them animals) rot

[soalbundy]

2 hours ago, oxo1947 said:

North Korea have a combined active and reserve military of 7 million soldiers.

The U.S.A. only have a combined number of 2 million.

 

So if it came to war America would outweigh the Koreans 3 to 1........

Yes but the NK troops wouldn't need spliffs and fresh ice cream to keep them going. Fat man is just showing up the impotence of the major powers to deal with him.

[Ulic]

I am quite certain fearless leader had a lot of very useful input that was pivotal in development of this advanced

weapons system.

[elgordo38]

From the looks of the photo Kim its time to throw them a fish. I think I have a picture of your new anti aircraft weapon. 

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, oxo1947 said:

North Korea have a combined active and reserve military of 7 million soldiers.

The U.S.A. only have a combined number of 2 million.

 

So if it came to war America would outweigh the Koreans 3 to 1........

What about all the US NATO allies? Oppps I guess they are sidelined due to none payment of their entry fee in full. 

[ballpoint]

 

[sujoop]

"The 10 million people living in Seoul will also not be protected by THAAD, since it is being installed 125 miles south of the city. "It cannot engage missiles fired at Seoul, so it offers no additional protection of the city". "In the case of a saturation attack, or a large volume of missiles as Postol described, THAAD's defense capabilities "can be expected to be very low, probably zero or close to that"

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/experts-north-korean-nukes-defeat-182100642.html

As always in serious matters, much depends on how Trump's vewy fwagile ego reacts to his latest abysmally low approval ratings (plus his cry-baby reactionary temperament to latest own-goal news reports). Thus, he may decide if the risk of a pre-emptive strike on North Korea is worth a shot at a self-ratings boost (hopefully Gen Mattis has more influence than say Steve Bannon etc in these matters...) Meanwhile, would instead seek to ratchet up trade sanctions even further particularly trade by China (and Russia) with N Korea and seek to now completely sever fuel shipments as it is summer.

[tandor]

44 minutes ago, sujoop said:

"The 10 million people living in Seoul will also not be protected by THAAD, since it is being installed 125 miles south of the city. "It cannot engage missiles fired at Seoul, so it offers no additional protection of the city". "In the case of a saturation attack, or a large volume of missiles as Postol described, THAAD's defense capabilities "can be expected to be very low, probably zero or close to that"

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/experts-north-korean-nukes-defeat-182100642.html

As always in serious matters, much depends on how Trump's vewy fwagile ego reacts to his latest abysmally low approval ratings (plus his cry-baby reactionary temperament to latest own-goal news reports). Thus, he may decide if the risk of a pre-emptive strike on North Korea is worth a shot at a self-ratings boost (hopefully Gen Mattis has more influence than say Steve Bannon etc in these matters...) Meanwhile, would instead seek to ratchet up trade sanctions even further particularly trade by China (and Russia) with N Korea and seek to now completely sever fuel shipments as it is summer.

...i wonder what he feeds his 7 million troops on so as to keep them in tip top physical condition.

[Suradit69]

9 hours ago, YetAnother said:

this guy is deranged (and looks it) ; obsessed with weapons while his people (he likely considers them animals) rot

 

He's on shaky footing even at home, which probably is a factor in his behavior and would explain the assassination of his brother and the rendering into dog food of other perceived potential internal threats.

 

It already seems he will be the last of the Kim family to rule and his life expectancy may not be that great,

"Moreover, if Kim were to die suddenly ..."

 

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/26/north-korean-elites-increasingly-think-kim-jong-un-is-a-weak-leader-new-study-says.html

 

Quote

More and more North Korean elites think dictator Kim Jong Un is a weak leader, according to new research published Thursday from Rand Corp. citing senior officials who have defected.

"Kim Jong Un appears increasingly to the elites as ineffective and not a particularly good leader, which is likely how he's viewed now," said Bruce Bennett, senior defense analyst at research organization Rand. "Other than North Korea's weapons and [the] ballistic missiles of this regime, Kim Jong Un doesn't really have a lot to make him feel empowered," Bennett said, noting that recent events such as the murder of the dictator's older half brother show how the leader is "clearly paranoid."

 

 

[Scott]

11 hours ago, tandor said:

...i wonder what he feeds his 7 million troops on so as to keep them in tip top physical condition.

I am not sure about NK, but in many places where humanitarian aid is given, there is a % that goes to the military.   If it's not agreed to, then no humanitarian aid is allowed.  

 

In the past, the UN often negotiated the amount that could be taken.  

 

In Bosnia, for a time it was around 10% and when supply trucks were let through, they took their cut first.    In one instance, the Serb military decided they needed 20% and the convoy was stopped.   Eventually it was renegotiated, but I don't know what the new amount was.  

 

Kim's army would take priority over starving civilians, those in jail or labor camps.  

[Kiwiken]

On 29/05/2017 at 0:11 PM, darksidedog said:

So Kim is bolstering his defences as fast as he can. This lunatic will not back down on missile and nuclear development. He is expecting an armed confrontation and is the sort of uncaring despot who will spend every life in his country if needed. This is going to get very nasty. It is just a question of when.

I am 62 and have seen a lot. I doubt if I will see war on the Korean Peninsula. Or a World war. A lot of sabre rattling and posturing yes. NK, Iran will probably have nuke missiles capable of hitting Europe and the USA but then so will other Countries. Pakistan has nuclear weapons and is a damn sight more unstable than Iran and NK. I sleep well at night. I know my kids and grandkids will wake up each day God willing. World conflict is not the thing you should fear. A corporate World where you are nothing more than a digit is the enemy. Weapons rust

[soalbundy]

5 minutes ago, Kiwiken said:

I am 62 and have seen a lot. I doubt if I will see war on the Korean Peninsula. Or a World war. A lot of sabre rattling and posturing yes. NK, Iran will probably have nuke missiles capable of hitting Europe and the USA but then so will other Countries. Pakistan has nuclear weapons and is a damn sight more unstable than Iran and NK. I sleep well at night. I know my kids and grandkids will wake up each day God willing. World conflict is not the thing you should fear. A corporate World where you are nothing more than a digit is the enemy. Weapons rust

we've been digits for a long time now even as far back as the Victorian era before computers. Once you take a scythe in the hand to cut corn instead of the whip you are a replaceable nobody. 

[Stargeezr]

The top nut job feeds his troops, food that is either grown in NK or in China one of the only countries that

still exports to NK  It Is too bad that China does not send Kim some tainted food and let him die of food poisoning.

  This guy is bad news already and if he does get any nukes, he will be impossible to deal with any other method , than to bomb him and

regretfully a lot of the NK people who live close to him. I think that Pakistan is corrupt but not unstable the way that NK is. Has Pakistan

leader killed of his uncles, and other people and had his brother killed, because he is paranoid.  NO,  I do not think so.  Fat boy in NK is

completely unstable, and all his generals are aware of this as well.

[gk10002000]

On 5/28/2017 at 8:11 PM, darksidedog said:

So Kim is bolstering his defences as fast as he can. This lunatic will not back down on missile and nuclear development. He is expecting an armed confrontation and is the sort of uncaring despot who will spend every life in his country if needed. This is going to get very nasty. It is just a question of when.

Well, a few dozen low altitude tomahawk type cruise missiles could easily take out the important command and control centers and a few key infrastructure things.  Then some high altitude conventional bombing aka B52 or B2 or B1 with JADM GPS guidance kits really can carpet bomb any decent sized military or industrial complex.  Many countries have other stand off conventional weapons that can fairly accurately neutralize any war making capability the guy thinks he has.

[Rob13]

Looks like a new arms race starting up....

 

Quote

The U.S. military destroyed a mock intercontinental ballistic missile thousands of miles over the Pacific for the first time Tuesday, a step forward for a missile-defense program that has taken on new significance in light of North Korean threats.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/05/30/with-eyes-on-north-korea-u-s-successfully-destroys-mock-icbm-over-pacific/