Behind the scenes, Russia pulls the strings in a proxy fight with the US
TETSURO KOSAKA, Nikkei senior staff writer
A Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile was successfully test-fired, reports the Rodong Sinmun newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea on June 15. © Kyodo
TOKYO -- One of North Korea's missile test-firings in May suggests that the country's ballistics development program is nearly complete.
On May 14, Pyongyang launched an intermediate-range missile, what it calls a Hwasong-12. The projectile reached an altitude of more than 2,000km -- well out of the Earth's atmosphere, which is about 480km thick -- then hit the Sea of Japan while traveling at least Mach 15.
Mach 1 is the speed of sound. Mach 2 is twice that.
That the missile did not disintegrate upon its re-entry into the atmosphere shows that it is capable of carrying and delivering a warhead.
Furthermore, it is believed that the missile's electronics were able to keep measuring the inside temperature, flying speed and perhaps other data -- and send the information back to ground control.
Sometime later, a national security source who is familiar with Japan's missile defense circumstances told me, "North Korea appears to have completed the development of a Japan-targeted nuclear missile."
Ballistic missiles typically fly in three phases: slowly gaining altitude, remaining in space and finally re-entering Earth's atmosphere.
There are missile defense systems designed to target a missile at each of these stages. The Aegis anti-missile system used by Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force tries to intercept missiles at the second stage. Just not at 2,000km. An advanced Aegis system can send an intercept missile up to 1,000km.
Japan could possibly consider deploying a land-based missile defense system like Aegis Ashore, but such systems offer no guarantees. Moving targets are hard to hit, especially when they're moving at Mach 15.
The Self-Defense Forces also have Patriot PAC-3 surface-to-air intercept missiles at their disposal. These are designed to intercept a missile as it re-enters the atmosphere -- but not those traveling as fast as the Hwasong-12.
