"3 North Koreans shot!" Japanese evening news tabloids said right after the first stage of the DPRK rocket Unha-3 blew up in a large fire-ball. Tabloids... who can say? Still after a decade of research and development and two prior test launches, the DPRK rocket engineers ("and anyone helping them" as Nightwatch writes) still have failed to master rocket's stage separation.
The day after, today, DPRK leader Kim Jong-un gave his first public speech since taking office, on the occasion of the centenary of its founder's birth, K.I.S., calling for a push to "final victory" at a mass military parade in Pyongyang.
In Japan, it's crisis again! This time about the 43 minutes delay in revealing the information to the public. 43 minutes! The US monitoring intelligence provided information to the Japanese MOD, which transfered to the Prime Minister, and, nothing came to the public! Question is what exactly were the Japanese authorities doing with their own Spy Satellites they already launched thanks to taxpayers money?
Since 2003, "prompted by concerns over North Korea's missile program" Japan (with Jaxa) currently has a few optical information-gathering satellites in orbit. 2 spy satellites were launched last year, last one in December 2011. It was expected to begin gathering intelligence in a few months. We are in April... Is it really for the defense of the archipelago or to help some companies to make money with other issues than defense. Monitoring oceans for economical interests, targeting populations, using the intel for private benefits interests? You know...
An other "spy sat" is to be launched later in this year 2012. Japan is to have 2 optical and 2 radar satellites to provide informations on any wanted target "at least once a day" Jaxa guys said. But what's the need to justify the public cash that it's for monitoring DPRK when it actually is NOT the case. More, it does not serve to reassure the public as Japan government and the MOD keep it for them. Worst is the lack of consideration for people living in Japan and especially the Okinawa people since the DPRK rocket second stage was to fly above the islands, above Ishigaki islands.
People in Okinawa have not even been warned right after the North Koran rocket missile launch even-though it takes a few minutes for the second stage to fall from the rocket cruising at 4 times the speed of sound!
How to proceed with crisis management in a country where communication and initiative are simply nonexistent? Again...
# 3.11
# Japan in crisis.
# Japan budget's cut.
# Japan facing new threats.
# New Space Law
# Type of satellites expected for such mission: Imagery Gathering satellite IMINT, Radio Wave IGS, Early warning surveillance, Positioning GPS, Meteorological observation etc.
More to come on Asian Gazette, stay tuned!
I always disliked Japanese bureaucracy acting like old class of aristocrats except they are greedy thieves and too proud.
ReplyDeleteAbout DPRK after the rocket launch failure I asked Friday 13th in Tokyo at the Fccj (press club) speaker Shigemura san if, like Gorbatchev did after a light plane landed on Red Square from Germany, if the young leader of North Korea KJU would be ready to change something in his country. And now, I read this in the Mainichi dated Monday 16th:
ReplyDelete"New North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has urged officials of the Workers' Party of Korea to debate economic reforms, including the introduction of capitalist methods, hitherto one of the greatest taboos in the reclusive state, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned.
The development was revealed in a record of Kim's statements dated Jan. 28, which was recently obtained by the Mainichi Shimbun. North Korea operates a state-controlled economy, but the poor performance of policies to date has created a serious and long-lasting economic crisis. Kim's statements raise the possibility that he could initiate major economic reforms in the near future as the country seeks clues to rise from the crisis."
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20120416p2g00m0in098000c.html