Japan sends planes to monitor radiation after N Korea test

the air force would dispatch trainer aircraft from three air bases in northern, central and southwestern Japan, later in the day.

I'm sure that NKoreas airspace is being swarmed by 'sniffer' planes from various countries already.

With only 6kT of power, the only thing they are going to find is the leftovers from Russia's Tsar Bomba (50MT). The only real thing they could look for is radio-iodine and xenon, first which will be in too small of quantities to detect from outside missile range, second which poses no danger to anyone.

UK VC10 was deployed in 2006 and 2009 to sniff - but I think they had up front warning and were "in region" or close.

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/375771-raf-deployment-north-korea.html

Good luck and take care, boys and girls (by that I mean those flying to check it out, assuming they get the green light). Also, if they get proof of radiation, will we be shown it? or just told it exists but they can't show us? Seriously, though, I do hope they take care -- and that includes invading NK airspace for measurements. Maybe it's best if Japan let those already taking measurements do so (I'm sure the US and SK among others, possibly) while they sit it out and ask for verification this time.

Anyway, I'm kind of with basroil on this one... wouldn't they have to fly awfully close to the ground over NK airspace to detect anything in the air from such a relatively small blast?

The test violates a series of U.N. Security Council resolutions,” Abe told parliament. “It was extremely regrettable. We will strongly protest.”

But violating another country's sovereign airspace is ok......hmmmmm....

Japan and US both likely to be guilty of this in the coming days it not already.

Smith - " Also, if they get proof of radiation, will we be shown it? or just told it exists but they can't show us?"

I was thinking along similar lines.

I think it will be "proven" to be a "nuclear test" even if it wasn't.

There's just too many powerful people and organizations that need this to be a nuclear test....

Japan to send planes to monitor radiation

...using faulty dosimeter. thanks to TEPCO

North Korea needs a good wake up to reality.

Cortes Elijah - "North Korea needs a good wake up to reality."

So do the rest of us if we're led to believe NK just conducted a nuclear test before it's proven.

The reason for the despatch of monitoring it odplanes to assess the amount of radiation has more to do with knowing the kiloton yield of the bomb rather than to address the issue of public safety. The article fails to mention the reason but kiloton yield is most likely on the government's mind.

It is tragic that all life has to suffer even more radioactive environmental damage though....

And if t was just a huge pile of TNT like the last NK "nuclear test"?

They will not be able to detect radioactivity. Because North Korea didn't carry out nuclear test. It is very interesting that North Korea never shows the video footage of nuclear test, even though North Korea very often shows the video footage of missile-launching.

Tamagawa, I wouldn't go quite that far. I think the best step to take is to be very critical of what any government says. They all have their own reasons for claiming / denying many things.

A peaceful coexistence should prevail in East Asia: Capitalist Japan and ROK should live side by side with socialist DPRK.

As I alluded to earlier, it would be extremely convenient to many governments if this was generslly agreed to be a "nuclear test."

Just think of how the arms industry would profit due to - gasp! - the ramped up need for defensive missile systems???

Pretty obvious stuff but being missed by many.

I wonder if N.K will lock radar on them! HAHA

I saw even Hu Jintao facepalming today!

Probably they have some kind of government structure inflexible for changes. Some people may even think about that but no one have power for strong changes.

North Korea is shaking ground with lot of TNT .. ?

North Korea want's to use nuclear weapons test's, as a detterent againt's America and the World's sanction's, they will only succeed in more sanction's and possible destruction of their people, by starvation...not war....If they choose to go, and declare war on the USA. They will be blown from here to kingdom come...

Time is coming for a surprise strike on NK. No one will be very sad if their power centre is taken out. Although there is the West's hypocritical argument of, "You can't have nuclear weapons even though we have them", NK really is a loose cannon (nuclear weapon) and Iran isn't far behind. Not saying they should be nuked but a strategic conventional missile strike might do the trick and put them a few decades behind in their nuclear capabilities.

Nothing to peek, it's an A-bomb.

"Time is coming for a surprise strike on NK. "? Are you crazy? You don't want to be A-bombed 3rd time!

As we have all seen the UN has no control over this situation. North Korea obviously doesn't care what the UN or other countries say. Personally if I was in office of a country I would stop all trade and tieins I had with North Korea and I would try to get all of my allies to do the same. Maybe when they run out of money and materials they need they might reconsider trying to build nuclear missles

Not sure what the UN can do put them on Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious prohibition? Das Leader does not seem to be missing any meals unlike the common people. So we will starve to death a million more Koreans for his sins? ne-tiger a 6kt atomic test in a cave proves nothing. Of course any nuke the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea might use is reserved for the South.

6kT in a cave might not be much but put in on their rocket and it could kill a lot of people. Still, the recent article in the Economist points out that the NK civilians are learning more and more about how badly they have it in the worker's paradise, so expect that the dear pudgy fuher will be threatened from within more than he is from the US or SK.

I agree with Yoshida-san. Let's toss all the NK people out of Japan. I would rather that the yaks controlled the pachinko. Time to stop giving the nork regime a free ride.

The more and more that these Communist Regimes continue to test the Japan/U.S. Alliance, then the more it is likely that Japan, under Shinzo Abe, will move forward to Amend their Pacifist Constitution in July that will allow Japan to start Advancing their National Defense back to the Pre-Levels of WWII. And just FYI: Japan has Nukes. They have been there since the Regean Administration as a base deterrence from the Nuclear Threat of the former Communist Soviet Union, The Communist Regime of North Korea, AND The Communist Regime of China. For the past 68 Years, Japan has been well trained by the U.S. to handle any agression that reaches their territory or shores, and The U.S. will be right there at their side to help them defend it.

so they starve their own people.. get the ROK and others to give them humanitarian aid so they can do this?

Only fools pursue a life of violence...only in the end to be destroyed by it. This is the path that N.K has chosen and there it shall end, unless the people stand up and fight...which sadly I doubt will happen.

Oh well.. unfortunate people...

China will become like this anytime soon.

Btw i'm a little bit curious... how do you get air samples? >.<

Sounds like a waste of time. I concur that these will provide very little evidence. I think Japan is setting up the propaganda machine or simply flat out lying.

Last time I checked NK sunk a SK patrol and fired on residents of one of the SK islands. They won't hesitate to fire on a Japanese plane.

Seriously, sanctions don't work. Big talk doesn't work. How the heck do you intend to fly over there? You have to clear through someone's airspace.

The U.S needs to take a big step back and let Japan deal with its neighbors.

There is no suggestion that these planes will fly over NK air space.

The jet stream will carry the radiation fanning out over the Japan Sea or East Sea before it blows all over the north Pacific.

If there's evidence in the clouds and winds, the filters in these planes will pick it up and it will be analyzed, for better or for worse.