North Korea may be planning a missile or satellite launch.
Satellite images of Sanumdong facility near Pyongyang suggest that there is preparation
going on for an impending launch.
On Friday US President Donald Trump said, "I would be surprised in a negative way if
he did anything that was not per our understanding.
But we'll see what happens.”
He added, "I would be very disappointed if I saw testing.”
Asked whether Kim broke his promise, Trump told reporters: "We're gonna see.
It's too early to see.
But we have to solve a problem.
We have a really nasty problem.
We have to solve a problem."
It is to be noted here that even if there is satellite launch and not a missile test,
it will still be against the commitments made to U.S President Trump by North Korean leader
Kim Jong-un.
The historic first meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim in 2018 in Singapore resulted
in a reduction of tensions.
North Korea has not conducted any tests since then but there has not been any major progress
when it comes to ‘denuclearisation’.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump's summit in Hanoi on February
28 failed to create a breakthrough.
Technically North Korea’s nuclear & missile program is currently in a ‘Paused’ state.
In this video, Defense Updates reports on possible upcomming missile test by North Korea
& why its Hwasong-15 missile could be a threat for America?
Let gets started.
Any satellite launch and missile test require extensive preparation.
The focus is on 2 sites - Sohae & Sanumdong.
Sohae launch facility seems to be gearing for a launch.
The site has been used for satellite launches and engine testing but never for ballistic
missile launches.
Sanumdong, is where North Korea assembled most of its ballistic missiles and rockets.
As per reports, there has been a large number of goods being transported from Sanumdong
to Sohae.
Some experts believe that believes it is most likely be a satellite launch since there has
never been an ICBM launch from Sohae.
But others have pointed to the probability that ICBM parts could be transported from
Sanumdong to Sohae for assembly & launch.
Work to dismantle Sohae began last year but that was stopped after talks with the U.S
didn’t result in a decisive breakthrough.
On 28 November 2017 North Korea stated that it had successfully tested its Hwasong-15,
a newly developed ICBM that could deliver heavy nuclear warheads anywhere in the continental
United States.
State news agency KCNA called the missile "the most powerful ICBM" and said it "meets
the goal of the completion of the rocket weaponry system development set by the DPRK," or the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had expressed concern, emphasizing there were
major technical advances on display in the 53-minute flight.
Mr. Mattis said in the White House “It went higher, frankly, than any previous shot they’ve
taken.
He had added, “The bottom line is, it’s a continued effort to build a threat — a
ballistic missile threat that endangers world peace, regional peace, and certainly, the
United States."
Hwasong-15 traveled nearly 600 miles and landed in the Sea of Japan.
The important fact is that was launched with a lofted trajectory and if it was launched
on a standard trajectory it would have been able to travel 13,000 km or 8,100 miles
So, Hwasong-15 is the first missile that can technically reach almost any part of the U.S
homeland.
Experts believe that North Korea could develop a miniaturized warhead, suitable for use in
a missile like Hwasong-15 if it worked actively for 1 year or so.
With talks resulting in no breakthrough, it is highly possible that North Korea could
restart its missile & nuke test.
This will mean, it will be again back to square one.
A test at this time could be a ploy to put pressure on U.S government put give North
Korea a better deal.
It is to be taken into consideration that with each passing day, North Korea is becoming
more & more capable when in comes to missiles and nuclear warheads