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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Day the U.S. Strikes North Korea
The Day the U.S. Strikes North KoreaIt would have to be big enough but not too bigenough to do damage but not enough to make Kim think we seek regime change. Not easy.
Tom Rogan 04.14.17 12:00 AM ET
For a start, the U.S. would seek to annihilate North Korean ballistic missile development and production facilities. Credible reports suggest many of these hardened facilities are in North Koreas northeastern mountainous region, near the Chinese border. Destroying these sites would likely entail air strikes with the U.S. Air Forces 30,000 pound GBU-57. The bomb is designed to penetrate deep below the surface and achieve significant effect. Open source reports indicate post-2012 efforts to enable B-2 bomber deployment of the weapon. Currently based in Florida and Missouri, B-2 crews can strike targets across the globe, refueling during missions.
The destruction of North Korean ballistic missile command and control elements would also be a primary objective. The Nuclear Threat Initiative lists a number of corresponding facilities, but the Sohae Station on North Koreas west coast offers an obvious example. North Korean ballistic missile officers might also be targeted.
Regardless, the motivation of these strikes would be threefold. First, to degrade North Koreas ability to deploy reliable solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles. Second, to deter a reconstitution of that program post-strike. Third, to assure North Korea that the strikes are not intended to destroy Kims regime.
This third point presents the greatest challenge for U.S. planners. After all, any operation would necessarily require significant force. To protect U.S. bomber crews and create durable strategic effect, the strikes would have to extend beyond the specific ballistic program. Strikes on North Korean command and control, radar and air defense assets would be necessary. Complicating matters is North Koreas crude but mobile air defense network.
Learning from the Persian Gulf War, when static Iraqi defenses quickly crumbled under American air assaults North Korean air defense units are focused on evading U.S. targeting efforts. Identifying and destroying these targets would require many U.S. Air Force and Navy/Marine aircraft. Although Carl Vinson contributes to that effect, at least one more strike group would be needed. But if the United States were to target units near the DMZ, the North might believe the Kim dynasty is existentially threatened.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/04/14/the-day-the-u-s-strikes-north-korea.html
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The Day the U.S. Strikes North Korea (Original Post)
workinclasszero
Apr 2017
OP
underpants
(182,823 posts)1. This is the biggest deal of Trumps life.
Good article. Rec'd.
BSdetect
(8,998 posts)2. Recall that the North Vietnamese brought down B52s with modified SAMs
I assume that the NKs would have thought about that too.
roamer65
(36,745 posts)3. All hell will rain down on Seoul.
The DMZ won't be a DMZ anymore.
So what happens when the ROK retreat happens? Do the nukes come out?
MacArthur once almost used them in Korea.
workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)4. Yup, Truman said no
Now we have an ignorant pussy grabbing, draft dodging reality star ape making the life and death decisions.
God help Seoul and all who live there is all I can say.
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)5. 1 million north korean troops would overrun south korea and take Seoul....
a first strike by US will start the war....and Trumps next move would be use nuclear weapons...and then we have it with China coming to N. Korea's defense
meow2u3
(24,764 posts)6. This will mark the beginning of the end of humanity
dalton99a
(81,513 posts)7. This is what the estimate was in 1994:
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-fg-north-korea-scenarios-20170414-story.html
During an earlier showdown with North Korea in 1994, the Clinton administration weighed airstrikes to prevent North Korea from reprocessing fuel rods from its Yongbyon nuclear complex. The plan was scuttled after computer simulations showed that up to 1 million people could be killed by North Korean retaliation. The casualties could be even larger today because of new real estate developments in the northern suburbs of Seoul, Baker said.
Rustyeye77
(2,736 posts)8. We can wait...but every month it will get worse.
imagine 5 years from now when they have ICBMs.
Sorry.
I hope China reads them the riot act.