U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

[slickdtc]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

It would be funny if we shot down one of their test missiles.

North Korea: "Ready, aim, fire!"
*missile flies into air*
North Korea: "Success! Our test has worked."
*bzzzzzzt, missile is vaporized by laser*
United States: "Indeed."

[Burns11]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

Yeah, then we go to war with a nuke wielding despot and in all likelihood China. Hilarious.

[Chip Douglass]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

Yeah, then we go to war with a nuke wielding despot and in all likelihood China. Hilarious.

.00001% chance the latter would happen, given the context of US-Chinese relations and China's stated foreign policy aims.

[Burns11]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

Keep thinking that. Shooting a N Korean weapon out of the sky is an attack, and N Korea has no qualms about striking back (likely at Japan). The US/Japan/S Korea would have no choice but to roll out full military and, seeing as they have so much to lose, China couldn't sit by and let N Korea be toppled. By that same token, the US couldn't sit by and watch N Korea attack Japan and S Korea. Chances are we wouldn't see a protracted war, we would see devastation in Japan and S Korea before the US military could push N Korea back and then China would move in and force a ceasefire.

[Chip Douglass]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

Keep thinking that. Shooting a N Korean weapon out of the sky is an attack, and N Korea has no qualms about striking back (likely at Japan). The US/Japan/S Korea would have no choice but to roll out full military and, seeing as they have so much to lose, China couldn't sit by and let N Korea be toppled. By that same token, the US couldn't sit by and watch N Korea attack Japan and S Korea. Chances are we wouldn't see a protracted war, we would see devastation in Japan and S Korea before the US military could push N Korea back and then China would move in and force a ceasefire.

You're assuming North Korea even has the capability of taking on two regional powers (and two world economic powerhouses). They don't and they would get owned by South Korea because their GDP and population is 1/40 and 1/2 to South Korea's, respectively. You're vastly overrating the military capabilities of a 3rd world country. No one would even care about them if it weren't for the fact that they're trying to develop a fledgling weapons program.

This isn't 1950. China isn't particularly interested in re-igniting global communism and they're not going to fight a war against the world's most powerful military and their biggest trading partner. They'll lose very badly.

Fighting a war against 3 of their 4 biggest trading partners and the United States armed forces vs. watching their 3rd world neighbors collapse is not a difficult choice for them.

[Happy29]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

I wonder if they could use that to shoot the neighbors cat out of my tree

[Burns11]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

You're assuming North Korea even has the capability of taking on two regional powers (and two world economic powerhouses). They don't and they would get owned by South Korea because their GDP and population is 1/40 and 1/2 to South Korea's, respectively. You're vastly overrating the military capabilities of a 3rd world country. No one would even care about them if it weren't for the fact that they're trying to develop a fledgling weapons program.

This isn't 1950. China isn't particularly interested in re-igniting global communism and they're not going to fight a war against the world's most powerful military and their biggest trading partner. They'll lose very badly.

Fighting a war against 3 of their 4 biggest trading partners and the United States armed forces vs. watching their 3rd world neighbors collapse is not a difficult choice for them.

I disagree, while N Korea doesn't have the largest military, they have the means and capability for one hell of a first strike. By the time the US or even S Korea can react, damage is done.

As far as China goes, the same goes the other way around. China believes N Korea to be a key neighbor and ally and have proven that when dealing with them and their insane behavior.

[Chip Douglass]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

I disagree, while N Korea doesn't have the largest military, they have the means and capability for one hell of a first strike. By the time the US or even S Korea can react, damage is done.

North Korea could devastate Seoul, but that's it. They wouldn't win a protracted war against South Korea, which is something even they realize.

As far as China goes, the same goes the other way around. China believes N Korea to be a key neighbor and ally and have proven that when dealing with them and their insane behavior.

China is allied with the current regime simply because they have to be.

If the current regime in NK fell apart, millions of refugees would flood across their border. However, they wouldn't fight a US/South Korean/Japanese alliance to protect a failed state like North Korea. They would be insane to and they know it.

If they wanted to help NK, they'd only use NK as a proxy and funnel weapons through.

[Burns11]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

North Korea could devastate Seoul, but that's it.

Ha, OK. S Korea wouldn't be their first target, Japan would be. There's a reason why NK's ballistic missile tests go across the sea of Japan.

China has more to lose than some refugees and they know it. There's zero chance they let the US get away with shooting a weapon out of the air, never mind outright invasion of NK and toppling that regime.

[Chip Douglass]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

Ha, OK. S Korea wouldn't be their first target, Japan would be. There's a reason why NK's ballistic missile tests go across the sea of Japan.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapc...korea.missile/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2564241.stm

North Korea test-fired a long-range missile and five shorter-range rockets early Wednesday, but the closely watched long-range test failed within a minute, U.S. officials said.

However, this missile [Nodong missile] is only thought to have been tested twice and it is not accurate. A March 2006 report, by the US Center for Non-proliferation Studies, said it had a 'circular error probable' of 2km to 4km, meaning that half of the missiles fired would fall outside a circle of that radius.
The Nodong has the range to strike most of Japan but not with any accuracy. If it were fired on a military target, its inaccuracy could lead to high levels of civilian casualties.

Again, you're overrating the power projection of a 3rd world country. I also have no idea why they wouldn't target South Korea immediately considering their missiles are accurate enough to hit South Korean targets and they could devastate South Korea's capital, rather than roll the dice on Japanese targets. Everything I've read on the subject tells me that Japan shouldn't worry too much about North Korea's amateur missile program.

Not to mention, it would only make sense for North Korea to immediately target the country with the largest standing armed forces in the world, which they're technically in a state of war with. The fact that there are two Koreas is a reason why the Korean peninsula is a geopolitical hotspot in the first place.

China has more to lose than some refugees and they know it. There's zero chance they let the US get away with shooting a weapon out of the air, never mind outright invasion of NK and toppling that regime.

And they have a hell of a lot more to lose if they decided to engage the United States and its Asian allies. Again, it's geopolitical suicide for a country whose stated foreign policy aim is to "rise peacefully" to superpower status.

They'd lodge a formal complaint at the UN Security Council and that's all they'll be limited to, both by choice and circumstance.

[superjames1992]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

Ha, OK. S Korea wouldn't be their first target, Japan would be. There's a reason why NK's ballistic missile tests go across the sea of Japan.

If North Korea really has dependable nuclear weapons, then they could wreck some havoc in Japan (maybe kill a couple hundred thousand people), but other than that, they'd have no prospects of doing anything else to Japan. Neither would China. China doesn't even have the naval capabilities to invade the (relatively) tiny island of Tawain unless they resorted to nukes.

China has more to lose than some refugees and they know it. There's zero chance they let the US get away with shooting a weapon out of the air, never mind outright invasion of NK and toppling that regime.

China certainly wouldn't like having a Westernized free country on its borders, but I don't think they'd take it as far as actually fighting the South Koreans and Americans (but it makes for good hypotheticals!). It would result in severe economic repercussions (for China, South Korea, and the US) and would risk escalating into a nuclear conflict, which is never good for anyone (especially China since we have far more long-range nuclear weapons). China would lose a nuclear war with the US.

Here's an interesting read on nuclear warfare in today's world titled as "Nuclear Warfare 101", written by Stuart Slade.

Part 1: http://homepage.mac.com/msb/163x/faq...rfare_101.html

Part 2: http://homepage.mac.com/msb/163x/faq...rfare_102.html

Part 3: http://homepage.mac.com/msb/163x/faq...rfare_103.html

[Burns11]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

If North Korea really has dependable nuclear weapons,

Doesn't matter much if they are dependable or not, if they have 6 now and another 10 they can cobble together, all they need is for one of them to detonate.

then they could wreck some havoc in Japan (maybe kill a couple hundred thousand people), but other than that, they'd have no prospects of doing anything else to Japan.

I think you are grossly underestimating what would happen in Japan if one of their nukes detonated. The nukes NK has detonated were on the magnitude of what we originally dropped on Japan, they killed a couple hundred thousand and the population density in Japan has skyrocketed since then. Hiroshima has 4 times as many people in it now, for example. if they got one to detonate in Tokyo, who knows how many would die, if they hit in the middle of downtown during the day we could be looking at millions.

Neither would China. China doesn't even have the naval capabilities to invade the (relatively) tiny island of Tawain unless they resorted to nukes.

Woah there, I never claimed China would go into an offensive war, they will defend NK and ensure they survive. Chances are they wouldn't though, if NK used nukes, but who knows what would happen in reality, I'm talking worst case here.

China certainly wouldn't like having a Westernized free country on its borders, but I don't think they'd take it as far as actually fighting the South Koreans and Americans (but it makes for good hypotheticals!). It would result in severe economic repercussions (for China, South Korea, and the US) and would risk escalating into a nuclear conflict, which is never good for anyone (especially China since we have far more long-range nuclear weapons). China would lose a nuclear war with the US.

Nobody can win a nuclear war. If it came to full scale nuclear war with China, even just a couple of volleys each, depending on the targets we could be talking about both countries being in near third world status for a while afterward.

My point is that you don't poke a rabid bear with a stick. Sure, it might turn tail and run away, but it also might eat your face off.

[Cusefan]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

There is no way on earth that China would conduct any military operation against the US, ZERO PERCENT CHANCE. Here is why, China has become a powerful country because of the US and our Allies. We have the Money and we spend it on Chinese goods. What exactly does North Korea offer China? Here is your answer:Nothing.

North Korea adds nothing to its partnership with China, they are so poor they simply cannot afford to. So your basically saying that China's relationship with North Korea is more Important than becoming a rich and prosperous nation. As soon as China attacked the US in any way shape or form, the US public would boycott Chinese goods so fast Wal-Mart would go out of Business.

Also North Korea attacks South Korea first and foremost. South Korea has double the Military power North Korea has, and that is not mentioning the US presence there. Give it 10 Years, there will be some sort of North Korea aggresion that results in a War. It would not surprise me if China came in and overthrew the NK government, That would be the best overall solution for everyone involved.

[Burns11]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

We'll just have to agree to disagree with regard to China's vested interests in N Korea.

[Cusefan]

Re: U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

We'll just have to agree to disagree with regard to China's vested interests in N Korea.

What Interest could China Possibly have with North Korea, It is a crappy deal for china. All does is Bail North Korea out, hell there has been reports out of China that their leadership is sick and tired of North Korea's shenanigans.

As of right now, China is only interested in Money. Hell look at their country, it has basically been destroyed environmentally for monetary gain. Unless China is ready to wear the big boy pants, they will not touch American forces if a War between NK were to break out. Remember back in 2001 when an American Spyplane was downed by Chinese fighters, an American Boycott put a severe dent in Chinese trade with the US.