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N. Korea missile test fails after showcase parade
by Staff Writers
Seoul (AFP) April 16, 2017


US military confirms apparent failed N.Korea missile test
Washington (AFP) April 16, 2017 - The US Defense Department confirmed on Saturday that North Korea appeared to have fired a missile, and said the launch failed "almost immediately."

"US Pacific Command detected and tracked what we assess was a North Korean missile launch at 11:21 am Hawaii time (2121 GMT) April 15," said Dave Benham, a spokesman with the US Pacific command.

"The launch of the ballistic missile occurred near Sinpo. The missile blew up almost immediately," Benham said.

"US Pacific Command is fully committed to working closely with our allies in the Republic of Korea and in Japan to maintain security," he said.

President Donald Trump was briefed on the development, amid sky-high US-North Korean tensions.

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said in a statement: "The president and his military team are aware of North Korea's most recent unsuccessful missile launch. The president has no further comment."

Meanwhile, aides to Vice President Mike Pence, who was en route to South Korea and due to arrive in Seoul early Sunday, said he also had been briefed about the missile launch and was in contact with the president.

The launch came the same day that North Korea's weapons of war rolled through Pyongyang streets as leader Kim Jong-Un mounted a spectacular show of strength on the 105th anniversary of the country's founder, after threats by Trump warning the reclusive nation against a missile launch.

The nuclear-armed state is under United Nations sanctions over its weapons program.

It nevertheless has carried out five nuclear tests -- two of them last year -- and multiple missile launches, one of which saw several rockets land in waters provocatively close to Japan last month.

As tensions worsened between Washington and Pyongyang in recent days, Trump ordered a strike group headed by the USS Carl Vinson supercarrier to the Korean peninsula in a show of force against Kim.

Britain 'concerned' by North Korea missile test
London (AFP) April 16, 2017 - Britain said it was "concerned" by reports that North Korea conducted a missile test on Sunday, which the US Defence Department said blew up almost immediately.

The Foreign Office in London said it was "concerned by reports of a missile test by North Korea" and was "monitoring the situation closely".

The failed missile came the day after Pyongyang publicly showcased its ballistic arsenal at a giant military parade.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson earlier urged North Korea to abide by UN resolutions and stop its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

"We have been here before but continue to monitor the situation carefully," Johnson said in a statement.

"We stand alongside our international partners in making clear that North Korea must adhere to UN resolutions designed to secure peace and stability in the region and stop its pursuit of nuclear weapons."

The nuclear-armed state is under United Nations sanctions over its weapons programmes.

North Korea's weapons of war rolled through Pyongyang on Saturday and a senior figure in the regime said it could "beat down enemies with the power of nuclear justice", as leader Kim Jong-Un mounted a spectacular show of strength.

Ostensibly Saturday's event was to mark the 105th anniversary of the North's founder Kim Il-Sung's birth.

But it was also intended to send an unmistakable message to Washington about the isolated country's military might.

Tensions over North Korea's nuclear ambitions are stretched to the limit, with US President Donald Trump deploying an aircraft carrier battle group to the region.

A fresh North Korean missile test failed when it exploded after launch Sunday, the US military said, a day after Pyongyang defiantly showcased its ballistic arsenal at a giant military parade.

The failure, which is likely to be seen as something of a public embarrassment for the regime, came amid soaring tensions in the region over the North's nuclear weapons ambitions.

"The missile blew up almost immediately," the US Defense Department said of the early morning launch which was also detected by the South Korean military.

Neither was able to determine immediately what kind of missile was used in the test, the timing of which appeared very deliberately chosen.

It came after North Korea displayed nearly 60 missiles -- including what is suspected to be a new intercontinental ballistic missile -- at a parade on Saturday to mark the 105th birthday of its founder Kim Il-Sung.

- Message to US? -

The missile failure also came hours ahead of a visit by US Vice President Mike Pence to South Korea where the North's weapons programme will top the agenda.

North Korea has a habit of firing off missiles to mark major political anniversaries, or as gestures of defiance to top US officials visiting the region.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the latest test but had "no further comment".

Sunday's launch was carried out around dawn from Sinpo, a site on North Korea's east coast where it has a shipyard.

"It is likely that this launch is a test for a new type of missile or an upgrade so the possibility is high for further provocation in the near future," Kim Dong-Yub, a military expert at Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, said.

In August last year, a submarine-launched ballistic missile tested from Sinpo flew 500 kilometres (300 miles) towards Japan.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un hailed that test as the "greatest success" and said it brought the US mainland within range of a mobile delivery system.

Pyongyang's rogue atomic ambitions have come into sharp focus in recent weeks, with Trump vowing a tough stance against the North and threatening unilateral action if China failed to help curb its neighbour's nuclear programme.

Trump has repeatedly said he will prevent Pyongyang from its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.

With speculation mounting that the North is preparing to conduct a sixth nuclear test, he sent an aircraft carrier-led strike group to the Korean peninsula -- a pointed gesture in the wake of the recent US missile strike on Syria.

- Ready for 'war' -

The North has reiterated its constant refrain that it is ready for "war" with the US, and its army vowed Friday a "merciless" response to any US provocation.

Recent satellite images suggest the North's main nuclear site is "primed and ready," according to specialist US website 38North, and White House officials say military options are "already being assessed".

China, the North's sole major ally, and Russia have both urged restraint, with Beijing's foreign minister Wang Yi warning that "conflict could break out at any moment".

The UN Security Council has imposed six sets of sanctions against the North since its first nuclear test in 2006 -- all of which have failed to halt its drive for what it insists are defensive weapons.

Pyongyang has carried out five nuclear tests -- two of them last year -- and multiple missile launches, one of which saw three rockets come down in waters provocatively close to Japan last month.

Pyongyang has yet to formally announce it has an operational ICBM, but experts and intelligence officials have warned it could be less than two years away from achieving an inter-continental strike capability.

Operational submarine-launched devices could give the North the ability to strike without warning from a vessel somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

They could also reduce the effectiveness of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, which Washington and Seoul are deploying to the South to counter missile threats, to the fury of Beijing.

NUKEWARS
Xi urges peaceful resolution of N. Korea tensions in Trump call
Beijing (AFP) April 12, 2017
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has urged Donald Trump to peacefully resolve tensions over North Korea's nuclear programme, as the US president touted the power of a naval "armada" steaming towards the Korean peninsula. China's foreign ministry said Wednesday the two leaders had spoken by phone, days after Trump sent the aircraft carrier-led strike group to the region in a show of force ahead of a ... read more

Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com


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