Quote:
Originally Posted by GaiJin
It was a strategic launch that will rattle Japan and the US to either diplomacy or the brink. Hokkaido doesn't have any US bases or presence up there, but it has over 4 million people. Firing it over Hokkaido proved the US doesn't have Japan fully covered and some areas of it are indeed weak targets. Also they fired it out of Pyongyang airport area, right out of populated areas, which tells the US they would have to carpet bomb the country to get all the ICBM's. Abe sounds nervous, and so he should be. Abe and Trump probably know now that they would have to level NK border to border, and they can't possible do that in one action. Should war break out, Japan,Sk perhaps Guam and Hawaii will get hit, that is now 100% certain.
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I agree with your first comment about rattling JP and US to do
something, be it escalating tensions or diplomacy re:sanctions, but that is about it.
Japan had the ability to shoot this one down apparently, and chose not to given its projected path. I wouldn't say Abe or JP is overly nervous now, and the combined anti-missile defenses from JP SDF, US bases and US navy is quite good on the Japanese side, and I imagine just as strong to the south in ROK. If DPRK launched everything they had at one, sure, wouldn't get them all, but DPRK would inflict minor damages versus getting completely annihilated. I'd give the chances of something making it to Hawaii, Guam, or even Japan pretty slim.
ROK is another story should war break out. There is just such a sheer volume of conventional weaponry at that border and given Seoul's proximity, they basically need the US & JPs support to ensure a swift end to any aggression.