NKorea could be ready to test fire missile
LONDON, (AFP)
North Korea could be ready to test fire an intermediate range
ballistic missile by the end of the month, respected defence analysis
group Jane's said Friday.
According to experts at Jane's Defence Weekly, satellite imagery
taken on Wednesday indicated that Pyongyang was preparing to either
launch a prototype Taepodong 2 missile, or a Paektusan 2 space launch
vehicle.
"There has been a significant increase in launch preparation activity
at the Musudan-ni Launch Facility," Joseph Bermudez, an analyst at the
magazine, said.
Bermudez said satellite imagery and reports indicated that the
activities included activation or installation of telemetry equipment
and radars, the arrival of numerous trucks and support vehicles, a rise
in activity at the engine test stand, and launch pad and umbilical tower
maintenance.
The magazine also said that support facilities for the engine test
stand were being expanded.
South Korean Defence Minister Lee Hang-See said earlier Friday that
Seoul would target North Korean launch sites if its ships came under
missile attack in the Yellow Sea.
Tensions have risen since the communist North cancelled all peace
accords with the South, including one recognising the Yellow Sea border
as an interim frontier.
The area saw deadly naval clashes in 1999 and 2002.
The North's military announced Thursday it is "fully ready" for war
with South Korea.
Pyongyang is angry at South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak, who
rolled back his predecessors' policy of largely unconditional aid and
engagement with the North.
He has linked major economic aid to the North's progress on
denuclearisation.
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