DPRK fires 30 more short-range missiles amid S. Korea-U.S. military drills

[SPQR]

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired off a total of 30 more short-range missiles Saturday morning amid the continued joint military exercises between South Koreaand the United States.

The DPRK launched 30 short-range rockets, possibly the FROG surface-to-surface missiles, from 4 a.m. to 6:10 a.m. local time, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff cited by local media.

Those rockets, which flew around 60 km, were fired from Wonsan areas in the DPRK's southeastern coast toward the eastern open waters.

The launch came six days after Pyongyang fired off 25 FROG missiles, which were introduced by the DPRK from the Soviet Union from the 1960s.

In what appeared to be a protest against the joint annual military exercises by South Korea and the United States, the DPRK has fired off multiple short-range missiles and artillery shells in recent weeks, which Seoul called an armed protest and a show of force.

The "Key Resolve" command post exercise, which began on Feb. 24, ended on March 6, but the "Foal Eagle" field training exercise will last until April 18 despite the DPRK's earlier call for delay or cancellation of the drills, which Pyongyang has denounced as the rehearsal for a northward invasion.

The DPRK said on March 5 that its recent short-range missile launches were "successful normal training" within its own territory.

http://english.cntv.cn/20140322/102020.shtml

[Oceander]

copycats

[Chieftain]

copycats

No.  This is the Norks thumbing their noses at the Chinese who are still trying to keep a lid on things over there.  Kim Jong Un-pleasant is an unruly child who is acting out because his overseer is displeased.  For once this is not specifically directed at the South or Japan, but is a message right in the Chinee's face....

[Oceander]

No.  This is the Norks thumbing their noses at the Chinese who are still trying to keep a lid on things over there.  Kim Jong Un-pleasant is an unruly child who is acting out because his overseer is displeased.  For once this is not specifically directed at the South or Japan, but is a message right in the Chinee's face....

how so?

[EC]

The missiles fired are ancient (around 30 years old, surprised a couple didn't blow up on the launcher), unreliable as hell, and rusting. Use 'em or lose 'em makes sense for NK in this context.

[SPQR]

The missiles fired are ancient (around 30 years old, surprised a couple didn't blow up on the launcher), unreliable as hell, and rusting. Use 'em or lose 'em makes sense for NK in this context.

EC,

You can place a chemical, nuclear or biological warhead on that missile. In 2003, A FROG missile killed three soldiers and two journalists in Iraqi Freedom

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/row/frog-7.htm

[EC]

EC,

You can place a chemical, nuclear or biological warhead on that missile. In 2003, A FROG missile killed three soldiers and two journalists in Iraqi Freedom

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/row/frog-7.htm

True. And with a max range of 40 miles, in perfect conditions and with perfect maintenance, and an estimated 47% failure rate, you really don't want to mess about with anything more than a high Ex warhead on one of them.

Not going to second guess NK - Kim Jong Duh is so close to the nut house that he gets his straitjackets starched for free -  but even they are not exactly stupid. Besides, why bother? Want to deliver ABC loads? Use a freighter. It's cheaper and longer ranged. The space race conditioned everyone to think in terms of missiles. What's the advantage of a missile over a Kenworth and trailer? You don't give a crap if the driver lives or dies, so why go the expensive route?

Give me a single nuke - first generation is fine, it doesn't have to be fancy, it just needs to go boom, and I could wipe out the economy of the USA (and most of the world, as a bonus) in under 6 hours. If I can think of 4 ways of doing that, there are probably 40.

[SPQR]

True. And with a max range of 40 miles, in perfect conditions and with perfect maintenance, and an estimated 47% failure rate, you really don't want to mess about with anything more than a high Ex warhead on one of them.

Not going to second guess NK - Kim Jong Duh is so close to the nut house that he gets his straitjackets starched for free -  but even they are not exactly stupid. Besides, why bother? Want to deliver ABC loads? Use a freighter. It's cheaper and longer ranged. The space race conditioned everyone to think in terms of missiles. What's the advantage of a missile over a Kenworth and trailer? You don't give a crap if the driver lives or dies, so why go the expensive route?

Give me a single nuke - first generation is fine, it doesn't have to be fancy, it just needs to go boom, and I could wipe out the economy of the USA (and most of the world, as a bonus) in under 6 hours. If I can think of 4 ways of doing that, there are probably 40.

All you need is a 2- 10 kiloton warhead on one of those missiles you eliminate the CEP. It has a CEP range of 500 m and 700 m. Seoul is not that far from the DMZ line. Cuba was prepared to use these missiles on invading US Troops during the Cuban Missile Crisis. All you need is one to do the job. These weapons are designed to be tactical nuclear weapons and to be airburst over invading troops to do maximum damage. There are still a number of countries that have the FROG and its update the Luna rocket.