Japan says N Korean missile shows threat intensifying

shouganai.

Those Okinawans sitting in the observation deck at Futenma begging for an accident so they can complain will be cursing over the fact that they have to admit they need the US there now and that this incident further proves why. As long as China and NK are a threat and are increasing their bombast and the intensity of said threat the US is going nowhere.

Why on earth would Un-chan risk losing his cushy life by starting a war with Japan (and by default the world)?

At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if some sort of deal was made with him for exactly the reasons marcelito implied.

Some gloriously idiotic comments already.

A psychopathic neighbour is testing missiles all over the place and one post says it cant be helped. Another says its only a threat for Abe's election (like its never a threat at other times).

TigersTokyoDome,

When was it ever a real threat? Russia, Cuba, and China used to be big scary threats too. Not only did they turn out not to be, we did a lot of stupid things to combat those supposed threats.

I agree with marcelito as well. Fear card.

Fear card maybe, but still... an altitude? Reached an altitude or traveled a distance of? Altitude doesn't sound quite right does it?

There are many in eastern Europe who presently consider Russia to be a threat. And it doesn't take more than 5 minutes of reading news to see how much of Asia considers China to be a threat.

smithinjapan: Why do the people of Okinawa need to admit they need the US here because of this incident. The only people who are afraid are the Mainland Japanese who fear retribution from China and North Korea because of the evil things they did to them in the past and apparently there are some foreigners who are afraid of China and North Korea but yet for some strange reason choose to live close to them. Maybe you would feel safer if the US Marines moved to Osaka, personally I think that Osaka Bay would be a great replacement for MCAS Futenma.

Altitude is important in rocketry because the higher or faster you get the rocket, the farther away you can hit with the payload when it reenters.

1000KM means that if the north koreans set the rocket on a west or east trajectory they could likely hit a target almost anywhere in the northern hemisphere. 1000KM straight up is useless but the rocket only needs to go up a few hundred KM before the trajectory flattens out, creating a ballistic path. 1000km means they have lots of extra energy they could use to either carry larger payloads, or travel farther away.

Japan says N Korean missile shows threat intensifying

Japan means electioneering intensifying

That's better.

“The threat to Japan is intensifying.”

No worries, the SDF has it under control, and all U.S.bases OUT ALREADY, sheesh!

Any NK idiot would know that as a target Okinawa is minor in the bigger picture. Kasumigaseki and Shinjuku are by far more important and valuable targets in the bigger scheme of things.

To NK though Japan is not the goal, they are testing missiles to attempt to reach the US of A. Japan is an after thought.

Hitting Okinawa with a ballistic missile from NK would be an impressive feat in itself. Okinawa is a Tiny target at a distance that maximizes atmospheric interference the entire flight. No, they'll go for strategic sites closer like Misawa etc. and perhaps just aim outright at cities.

James Burke Jun. 23, 2016 - 04:32AM JST

Hitting Okinawa with a ballistic missile from NK would be an impressive feat in itself. Okinawa is a Tiny target at a distance that maximizes atmospheric interference the entire flight. No, they'll go for strategic sites closer like Misawa etc. and perhaps just aim outright at cities.

Sad but true.

Japan says N Korean missile shows threat intensifying

Japan is correct.

And there is noting it can do about it.

@Black Sabbah : exactly, i envy you that you got only 1 minus :)

The question is whether there is anything that ANY country cam do about it. Certainly not the UN.

The current leadership of North Korea stated this year that it would not order a nuclear first strike on any other country!

Has the US done the same? Does the US not entertain the possibility of using nuclear weapons as an initial attack?

I propose that the threat is 'intensifying' but it is not a threat from North Korea...,,,,

@James Burke - thanks for that info.

@kurisupisu - I'm pretty sure the U.S. has long held the stance it will never again be the first to fire a nuclear weapon.

Wow, that's some altitude.1,000 km is twice as high as the international space station.

Why are all those reporters gathered around Nakatani? Shouldn't they be swarming the USAF Commander with a translator present?

@Haaa. Nemui Is it not true that the US HASNT learned the lesson?

mobile.nytimes.com/.../as-us-modernizes-nuclear-weapons-sm...

Japan should just quit talking and sounding like Obama and instead blast it out of the sky and call it an exercise.

@ kurisupisu. Development of nukes and first use of nukes in war are two different things.