Japan may have no choice but to shoot down the next North Korean missile test
Thomson Reuters
North Korea has reached a point in its missile development where it can no longer simply fire missiles straight up in the sky as it has in the past. To continue to learn and advance, North Korea must now start firing its long-range missiles on realistic trajectories, which, due to geography, means overflying its neighbors.
"This ballistic missile launch appeared to fly over our territory. It is an unprecedented, serious and grave threat to our nation," a top Japanese government spokesman told Reuters.
"We will make utmost efforts to firmly protect the lives of the people," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Reuters.
North Korea's missile launch Tuesday morning local time doesn't just threaten the safety of Japanese people, it also serves as a direct military provocation. The US and South Korea are currently holding a military exercise, and the US and Japan just completed Northern Viper, a military drill of their own.
The US and Japan both field Aegis-radar equipped guided-missile destroyers in their navies, and they both come armed to the teeth with SM-3 missile interceptors. With the ships in the right place at the right time, the US or Japan could likely knock out some North Korean missile fires, which would keep Pyongyang from gathering important data from the later stages of the launch.
But more important than thwarting North Korean missile tests would be sending the message that Japan won't stand for these dangerous provocations.
"NK missile flight over Japan is an Archimedean point for the US," Tal Inbar, the head of the space research center at the Fisher Institute for Air & Space Strategic Studies tweeted atfer the launch. "No REAL ACTION - and we will see more missiles on the same path soon."
- US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says
- 2 states where home prices are falling because there are too many houses and not enough buyers
- A couple accidentally shipped their cat in an Amazon return package. It arrived safely 6 days later, hundreds of miles away.
- India Inc marks slowest quarterly revenue growth in January-March 2024: Crisil
- Nothing Phone (2a) India-exclusive Blue Edition launched starting at ₹19,999
- SC refuses to plea seeking postponement of CA exams scheduled in May
- 10 exciting weekend getaways from Delhi within 300 km in 2024
- Foreign tourist arrivals in India will cross pre-pandemic level in 2024
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market