[Oct. 23] Rocket launch? Missile Defense System is to be tested

[아름드리 나무]

http://savejejunow.org/rocket-launch-missile-defense-test/

Rocket launch? Missile Defense System is to be tested

Image source: Yonhap News, Oct. 22, 2012

The below is the translation of a Korean article in the Asia Gyungje (meaning Economy).

Very important article, I think…

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Asia Gyungje

Two Aegis destroyers will trace the space rocket, ‘Naro’ at the same time.

Oct. 23, 2012

2012.10.23 10:27

Image source: Asia Gyungjeo, Oct. 23, 2012

It is expected that on Oct. 26, the top-of-the-line fighters and Aegis destroyers will be gathered in the sea of Yeosu and Goheung, Jeolla province (Southern part of Korea), ahead of the planned launch of the Naro (KSLV-I), a space rocket, [which is launched by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Daejeon).

On Oct. 23, a ROK military personnel said, “The F-15K, the top-of-the-line, of the Air Force will be on air patrol and Aegis destroyers will carry out the duty of path-tracing on the Naro.”

The navy has supported the Naro with the mobilization of the King Sejong, the Great, an Aegis destroyer in its 1^st launch (* Aug. 25, 2009, failed); Yulgok Yi Yi, the 2^nd Aegis destroyer, in the 2^nd launch (* June 10, 2010, failed). At this time of the 3^rd launch, two Aegis destroyers are positioned in the west south sea of the Jeju Island and step to trace its path at the same time.

The Aegis ships of the navy is loaded with the Aegis combat system of long distance defense, anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare and ballistic missile defense system. Using that combat system, the Aegis ships can detect the ballistic missile flying from approximately 1,000 km and can intercept it with the Standard Missile-2 equipped to the vessel when it approaches within in-range.

Since the applied launch technique is same in the space projectile and ICBM, with only difference that the space projectile is loaded with the civilian satellite projectile, but the ICBM with the nuclear and conventional warhead, it is a good chance to check the preparation ability of the ballistic missile.

The Air force supports with the fighting planes of the F-15K, KF-16. It is to block the civilian and military airplanes that may approach in the upper air of the Naro Space Center set for the temporary no-fly-zone. The F-15K fighting planes using the TIGER-EYEs Targeting Pod, will film the launch orbit of the Naro (2 km to 12 km in the upper air) from the 10 seconds before the launch of the Naro and 70 seconds after the launch of it.

The images that will be provided to the Naro Space Center are planned to be utilized as the source material of the data analysis for the development of the rocket, Naro. Also, there is a plan to provide weather, flight information in real time by dispatching the Air Force personnel to the Space Center and maintaining hot line with the Master Control and Reporting Center(MCRC), Osan, Gyeonggi Province.

The Coast Guard is joining, too. The security ship No. 3002 (3,000 ton class) belonging to the Jeju Coast Guard left the Jeju port at 9am in the morning of Sept. 22 toward the international waters east of Philippine. The No. 3002 will move to the international water 600km east of Philippine, which is 1,700 km south of the Jeju Island. It will support the tracing of the projectile after the launch of the Naro and telemetering monitoring on the flight condition information. It will also take charge of duty to grasp the location of the projectile after it is separated from the satellite and to support on the maritime safety management such as controlling the vicinity in the Pacific Sea area to prevent the damage for the falling objects.

The Jeju Coast Guard ship,  Jeju Sori, Oct. 22, 2012

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# The Osan Airbase (actually based on Songtan) is known to be the biggest in the region of the Asia Pacific since the closure of the Philippine Clark Air Force base, Philippine in 1991. It is also a headquarter of the 7^th Air Force of the United Sates under the US Pacific Air Force. Currently in the Osan base, the ROK Air Force Operation Command Headquarter and MCRC 1 exist together in the Osan base. The MCRC 2 is in Daeku, Kyungsangbuk-do province, beginning its operation in 2002.

( Reference from here and here)

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Reference

http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?idxno=2012102310255171056

이지스함 2척 ‘나로호 궤도‘ 동시 추적

최종수정 2012.10.23 10:27기사입력 2012.10.23 10:27

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See also

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/10/113_122831.html

S. Korea to add submarines, Aegis destroyers