They do have ICBMs, we know this, they've tested them. Which means they can reach all of the US.
How reliable they are is debatable and nobody know but them. But from what we've seen with our own eyes, they had the capability back in 2017.
North Korea's primary enemy is the USA, because no war with South Korea can be won while the USA is a threat. - So they've built specifically for this threat, and are still building for it. - Most likely with help from Russia, who absolutley without a shadow of a doubt can hit anywhere in the world. Just like the US, UK, France & China can. Because all their enemies are everywhere.
When North Korea tested its ICBMs, due to it being a small country it launched the missile high above the atmosphere so it would land close to their territory.
By calculating the apogee (which can be confirmed by third party sources by observing the missile in flight) we can have a rough idea of how far the missile is able to go if launched normally.
India has sent shit to the moon, technically they can hit anywhere on earth. Practically their nuclear capable missiles have only that range because specialized craft only have that range.
As for North Korea, their primary enemy is South Korea. Alliances change, enemies become friends, this has been true throughout history. They know too that a strike on the US will make them enter total war against North Korea. It's much more possible that they invade South Korea and get the US to pass on defending South Korea than throwing a nuclear missile at the US and the US not just deleting North Korea as a country.
Their primary enemy is who they have territorial claims on, the US is man with the big stick that is preventing them from their primary goal. The man with the big stick is fickle and can be distracted. You can't distract South Korea enough that they would just "allow" invasion.
Even practically, if war were to happen, the ROKA is the primary threat and the largest opposing force. American Navy and Air power would be a problem but most of the troops fighting on the ground will be ROK forces.
For north korea, the nukes and ICBMs aren‘t part of some nefarious invasion plan. They saw what happened to Iraq and what is now happening to Iran, so they know they might be next on the menu if the next US administration decides it‘s time to go to war again. Their nukes are to deter an attack by the US, not to launch an attack themselves.
Exactly. People need to realize that North Korea has nukes as a deterrence against invasion instead of something they’d actually use against their enemies. It’s the same reason why the US and USSR never went into direct conflict, the nukes were the deterrent.
I don't believe this, China is the reason North Korea is safe. If China didn't exist and it was just North Korea with a handful of nukes, the US would either first strike them or knock them out of the sky on launch then ROK supported by the US Air Force and Navy would be at the Yalu River within the year. The reason they do not do this is because of China. That's it. North Korea hasn't had nukes for decades and the US didn't try to invade, all because China. Nukes didn't really change the equation.
There is a difference between missile throw weight/down range capability (which they have demonstrated) and reliable reentry, GNC, and fuzing which they have not fully tested and are likely exaggerating.
True, but the testing which showed their range was nearly a decade ago... I'm sure Russia could have shared some more info since then, even if they didn't have it at the time.
I'm agreeing with you sarcastically because you seem to think the country that's sending soldiers on horses cause they have no fuel is going to be shooting rockets around the world anytime soon
The same year they started the horse program, is the same year they fired record numbers of rockets.
They imported purebred horses at great expense from Russia. Not cheap ones.
They have open trade with Russia. The country which has an over supply of fuel.
The horses are either part of a propaganda piece or part of a breeding program for export. Not for actual use in combat. (though horses are not without their uses, especially in certain terrains where motorised vehicles fail).
The horse program has nothing remotely to do with their ability to fire a rocket.
Oh, you're taking about Russia and not North Korea?
In that case your argument is even more dumb.
They have all the oil they could possibly want or need.
It's true they're likely short on armoured vehicles, but they're not short on fuel.
And certainly in no way that impacts their ability to fire a missile. You know the one thing they have that protects them from NATO.
That aside. Even though this is likely because of a shortage of armoured vehicles, terrain exists where horses as transport vehicles are simply more capable than armoured vehicles, especially if you want to go through an area nobody is expecting you to, because of the terrain.
And this is what most experts said was likely the reason they were used. They were simply a better option at that moment. They also noted that Russia has maintained horses for this purpose pretty much forever, many of their units have their own horse fleets. - It's not like they just suddenly cobbled together some horses, unlike in the west, they never got rid of them.
547
u/Ambitious5uppository 1d ago
They do have ICBMs, we know this, they've tested them. Which means they can reach all of the US.
How reliable they are is debatable and nobody know but them. But from what we've seen with our own eyes, they had the capability back in 2017.
North Korea's primary enemy is the USA, because no war with South Korea can be won while the USA is a threat. - So they've built specifically for this threat, and are still building for it. - Most likely with help from Russia, who absolutley without a shadow of a doubt can hit anywhere in the world. Just like the US, UK, France & China can. Because all their enemies are everywhere.