Del 6 al 8 de Junio se va a celebrar la feria Addit 3D, que está dedicada exclusivamente a tecnologías de Impresión 3D.
Creo que puede ser una buena oportunidad de conocer en vivo y en directo las últimas novedades en soluciones de Manufactura Aditiva orientadas a la fabricación de Misiles, y por tanto les copio el enlace a una página web donde conseguir una invitación gratuita:
There are currently no imminent nuclear threats against the United States. However, there are events that are currently occurring that require closer monitoring. Let's see them below:
1) The United States and North Korea continue to face each other and the tension is increasing: On the part of the United States there are large numbers of men and material displaced towards the Korean peninsula.
On the part of North Korea that country continues advancing in its nuclear program.
2) The situation in the area is very volatile and tension can be aggravated at any time: the United States has deployed 100 F-16 fighter planes on South Korean soil with which it has been carrying out exercises in South Korean airspace on a regular basis during some time. Considering that such exercises often take place prior to an attack -as in the case of Operation Desert Storm- I can suppose a pre-emptive strike at any date against major strategic targets in North Korea, which could be carried out initially using F-35 and Tomahawk missiles. How would North Korea react? At best -that is, in the event that the US pre-emptive strike with the F-35s and Tomahawks knocks out North Korea's anti-aircraft defenses, the artillery pieces aimed at Korea South, and all its nuclear missile launchers- we could hope a quick and definitive solution to the South Korean problem. However, if the first attack does not achieve its objectives, South Korea's reaction may include attacks with weapons of mass destruction directed against any US allied territory that may be within its reach, especially South Korea and Japan. If it could also reach the bases of the United States in other areas of the Pacific and even attack the American continent, the situation would become unpredictable.
3) Another possibility that does not deserve to be dismissed in any way is that North Korea launches a first preventive attack against the United States, generating an electromagnetic pulse on its territory. That pulse would be generated by the detonation of a nuclear device housed in one or both of the two earth observation satellites KMS 3-2 and KMS-4 put into orbit by North Korea in April 2012 and February 2016 respectively. In that case, the negative consequences would be of all kinds: massive blackouts, total communications outages, destruction of electronic systems for airplanes, automobiles, trucks and trains, and all the ensuing chaos: Crashed planes, collapsed roads , Emergency services inoperative, etc.
Actualmente no hay amenazas nucleares inminentes contra los Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, hay eventos que están ocurriendo actualmente que requieren una vigilancia más estrecha. Vamos a verlos a continuación:
Los Estados Unidos y Corea del Norte siguen frente a frente y la tensión va en aumento.
Por parte de Estados Unidos hay un gran número de hombres y material desplazados hacia la Península de Corea.
Por parte de Corea del Norte ese país continúa avanzando en su programa nuclear.
La situación en la zona es muy volátil y la tensión puede agravarse en cualquier momento: Estados Unidos tiene desplegados en suelo surcoreano 100 aviones de combate F-16 con los que ha estado realizando ejercicios en el espacio aéreo de Corea del Sur de manera regular durante algún tiempo. Considerando que este tipo de ejercicios a menudo tienen lugar antes de un ataque -tal como fué en el caso de la Operación Tormenta del Desierto- cabe admitir la posibilidad -cada vez más probable- de un ataque preventivo en cualquier fecha -aunque más probablemente a partir del 27 de mayo- contra importantes objetivos estratégicos en Corea del Norte, que se podrían llevar a cabo en un primer momento utilizando aviones F-35 y misiles Tomahawk. ¿De qué manera reaccionaría Corea del Norte? En el mejor de los casos -esto es, en el caso de que el ataque preventivo de Estados Unidos con los F-35 y los Tomahawk deje fuera de combate las defensas antiaéreas de Corea del Norte, las piezas de artillería que apuntan hacia Corea del Sur, y todas sus lanzaderas de misiles nucleares- podríamos pensar en una rápida y definitiva solución al problema de Corea del Sur. Ahora bien, si el primer ataque no consigue sus objetivos, la reacción de Corea del Sur cabe pensar que incluya ataques con armas de destrucción masiva dirigidas contra cualquier territorio aliado de Estados Unidos que pueda quedar a su alcance, especialmente Corea del Sur y Japón. Si además pudiese alcanzar las bases de Estados Unidos en otras zonas del Pacífico e incluso atacar el continente americano, la situación se tornaría impredecible.
Otra posibilidad que no merece ser descartada en modo alguno es que Corea del Norte lance un primer ataque preventivo contra Estados Unidos, generando un pulso electromagnético sobre su territorio. Ese pulso vendría generado por la explosión de un dispositivo nuclear alojado en uno o ambos de los dos satélites de observación terrestre KMS 3-2 y KMS-4 puestos en órbita por Corea del Norte en Abril de 2012 y Febrero de 2016 respectivamente. En ese caso, las consecuencias negativas serían de todo tipo: Apagones masivos, corte total de comunicaciones, destrucción de los sistemas electrónicos de aviones, automóviles, camiones y trenes, y todo el caos consiguiente: Aviones que caen en tierra, autopistas y carreteras colapsadas, servicios de emergencia inoperativos, hospitales inutilizados, etc.
As the readers of this blog already know, I usually devote little attention to issues not directly related to the technological development of missiles. Now, in the last weeks have been raised certain authoritative voices, exposing a disturbing hypothesis that I will expose in this post, because I consider it worthy of attention.
Russia feels seriously threatened
During the last International Security Conference held in Moscow late last month, Lieutenant General Viktor Poznihir, representing the Russian armed forces, publicly stated that, under certain moves being made by the United States, the conclusion is that Washington is preparing a first nuclear attack against Russia. To these public declarations you can access through the following links:
And as far as we know, no voice has been raised from the United States categorically denouncing Lieutenant General Poznihir. ¿Do not you find this a bit unsettling? ¿Have you even read any comment in this regard in the mass media? None of this has appeared on CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, or any other Western media. ¿Do not you find it a bit strange that the United States is so silent?
China feels seriously threatened
Like Russia, China has also publicly shown its fear, or rather its conviction, that the United States is preparing a first nuclear attack against that great nation. Nor has the United States done even the slightest attempt to deny China. ¿Why? ¿Do not you think that's a little suspicious?
¿Will China and Russia sit and wait the missiles coming?
¿What would you do if you had the conviction that someone wants to destroy your family? ¿Would you wait to see what happens... and then decide the degree of reaction... or would you prefer to be proactive, trying to neutralize the potential aggressor? Everyone is free to think and act as he prefers, but as far as Russia is concerned, the thinking of Vladimir Putin is clear:
"Streets of Leningrad taught me one thing - if fight is inevitable, throw the first punch"
Never in history has the current situation been given
The situation we have reached is a situation that is not comparable with any previous situation: up to date, never two military superpowers have ever agreed in their conviction that a nuclear attack by surprise was being prepared, against both, by a third military superpower. This absence of precedents prevents us from supposing nor anticipating what will be the course of events. And this is serious, because when you convince two military superpowers that you are getting ready to destroy them, you must contemplate the possibility that these military superpowers may try to destroy you first. It is that simple, and in this situation we are immersed: For China and Russia, the common threat is called United States. Both China and Russia must choose if they want to stay and watch the missiles approaching, or if they want to attack the United States by all means at their fingertips. It is that simple and so sad, but, unfortunately for all, this is the current situation:
¿What does the United States win with a surprise attack?
Faced with the hypothesis raised, the million dollar question arises: ¿Who is interested in starting a war in which no one is going to win? Again, we return to the previous point: The present situation is no longer in any way of nuclear balance, as it used to be in past decades. The current situation is very simple: United States has gradually surrounded China and Russia with systems conceived in principle to neutralize missiles from Iran and North Korea, but... both Russia and China are convinced that Iran and North Korea were nothing more than mere "smoke curtains" to prevent public opinion from perceiving the true purpose of such defensive systems: to neutralize any response from either China or Russia in case of a nuclear attack from the United States. Both China and Russia have concluded that a first and simultaneous surprise nuclear attack against both China and Russia would literally leave both nations out of combat, unable to counter-strike. But even if they could launch any sort of counter-strike with ICBMs, the defensive systems deployed on Europe (mainly Poland, Romania and Spain), on Asia Pacific (mainly South Korea, Japan and Australia) and on the west coast of the United States, would neutralize any ICBM directed against the United States, leaving literally intact that nation. Moreover: A counter-attack from China and/or Russia would serve only as an excuse for a second nuclear hit. ¿Result? Total victory of the United States, total defeat of China and Russia. ¿What can we expect now?
Of course, Vladimir Putin wants to believe that there is still a gate for hoping the attack will not occur, but his hope is becoming less likely: Last week, the commander of US forces deployed in Europe has asked more money from the US Congress United, in order to "counter a resurgent Russia":
Now compare the previous video, with the next one, and draw your own conclusions:
¿Will there be collateral damages?
If at the end this cold war becomes hot war, several nations are in the spotlight and could be annihilated: Wars are known as they begin, but not how they end. In case of a total war, the consequences will be suffered firstly by China and Russia, and secondly by the US allies. These includes all NATO countries (firstly Spain, Poland and Romania) which are already in the crosshairs of the Russian missiles; but also U.S. allies in Asia Pacific (mainly South Korea, Japan and Australia) which are in the crosshairs of the Chinese missiles. ¿What will happen? ¿Who knows?
Como los lectores de este blog ya conocen, suelo dedicar poca atención a asuntos no directamente relacionados con el desarrollo tecnológico de misiles. Ahora bien, en las últimas semanas se han alzado ciertas voces autorizadas, exponiendo una inquietante hipótesis que voy a tratar en este post, pues la considero digna de atención.
Rusia se siente gravemente amenazada
Durante la pasada Conferencia Internacional de Seguridad celebrada en Moscú a finales del mes pasado, el Teniente General Viktor Poznihir, en representación de las fuerzas armadas de Rusia, declaró públicamente que, a tenor de ciertos movimientos que está llevando a cabo Estados Unidos, la conclusión más acertada es que Washington está preparando un primer ataque nuclear contra Rusia. A estas declaraciones públicas pueden ustedes acceder a través de los siguientes enlaces :
Y hasta donde sabemos, desde Estados Unidos no se ha alzado ninguna voz desmintiendo categóricamente al Teniente General Poznihir. ¿No les parece esto un poco inquietante? ¿Acaso han leído siquiera algún comentario a este respecto en los medios de comunicación de masas? Nada de esto ha aparecido en la CNN, ni en el New York Times, ni en el Washington Post, ni en cualesquiera otros medios de comunicación occidentales. ¿No les parece un poco extraño que Estados Unidos guarde tanto silencio?
China se siente gravemente amenazada
Al igual que Rusia, China tambien ha mostrado públicamente su temor, o más bien su convicción, de que Estados Unidos prepara un primer ataque nuclear contra esa gran nación. Tampoco en este caso Estados Unidos ha realizado siquiera el más mínimo intento de tranquilizar a China. ¿Por qué? ¿No les parece un poco sospechoso?
¿Se van a quedar China y Rusia a verlas venir?
¿Qué harían ustedes si tuvieran la convicción de que alguien quiere destruir a su familia? ¿Esperarían ustedes a ver qué ocurre... para entonces decidir el grado de reacción... o se anticiparían al ataque, tratando de neutralizar al potencial agresor? Cada cual es libre de pensar y actuar como considere conveniente, pero en lo que respecta a Rusia, el pensamiento de Vladimir Putin es bien claro: “Hace cincuenta años, las calles de Leningrado me enseñaron una cosa: Si la lucha es inevitable, debes dar el primer golpe.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNEcDmFR6E4)
Nunca en la historia se ha dado la situación actual
La situación a la que hemos llegado, es una situación que no es comparable con ninguna situación anterior, pues hasta la fecha nunca dos superpotencias militares habían coincidido en su convicción de que se estaba preparando un ataque nuclear por sorpresa, contra ambas, por parte de una tercera superpotencia militar. Esta ausencia de precedentes nos impide suponer, anticipar, cuál va a ser el curso de los acontecimientos. Y esto es grave, porque cuando tú convences a alguien de que vas a matarle, debes contemplar la posibilidad de que ese alguien procure matarte a tí antes de que lo hagas tú. Es así de simple, y en esta situación estamos inmersos: Para China y Rusia, la amenaza común se llama Estados Unidos. Deben elegir si quieren quedarse a ver los misiles venir, o si quieren atacar a Estados Unidos por todos los medios a su alcance. Es así de simple y así de triste, pero, por desgracia para todos, esta es la situación actual:
¿Qué gana Estados Unidos con un ataque sorpresa?
Ante la hipótesis planteada, surge la pregunta del millón: ¿A quién le interesa iniciar una guerra en la que nadie va a vencer? De nuevo, volvemos al punto anterior: La situación actual ya no es en modo alguno de equilibrio nuclear, tal como era en pasadas décadas. La situación actual es que Estados Unidos ha venido rodeando poco a poco a China y a Rusia con sistemas concebidos en principio para neutralizar los misiles procedentes de Irán y de Corea del Norte, pero... tanto Rusia como China están convencidos de que Irán y Corea del Norte no son más que meras cortinas de humo para impedir a la opinión pública percibir el verdadero propósito de tales sistemas defensivos: neutralizar toda capacidad de respuesta ya sea de China o de Rusia ante una agresión a su territorio. Ambos países han llegado a la conclusión -bien fundamentada, a mi juicio- de que un primer y simultáneo golpe sorpresa contra China y contra Rusia dejaría literalmente fuera de combate a ambas naciones, que serían incapaces de responder a ese primer ataque. Pero aún en tal caso, los sistemas defensivos dispuestos en Europa (España, Polonia y Rumanía, principalmente), en Asia Pacífico (Corea del Sur, Japón y Australia, principalmente) y en la costa oeste de Estados Unidos, neutralizarían cualquier misil que fuera dirigido contra Estados Unidos, dejando literalmente intacta a esa nación. Más aún: Un contraataque de China y/o de Rusia, no haría más que servir de excusa para un segundo ataque. ¿Resultado? Victoria total de Estados Unidos, derrota total de China y de Rusia. Desde luego, Vladimir Putin quiere creer que todavía existe la esperanza de que el ataque no se produzca, pero cada vez van quedando menos posibilidades: La pasada semana, el comandante de las fuerzas norteamericanas desplegadas en Europa ha pedido más dinero al Congreso de los Estados Unidos, en orden a “contrarrestar una Rusia resurgente.”https://www.rt.com/news/387063-nato-counter-resurgent-russia/
Ahora comparen el vídeo anterior, con este otro, y saquen sus conclusiones:
¿Habrá daños colaterales?
Si al final esta guerra fría se convierte en guerra caliente, varias naciones están en el punto de mira y podrían ser aniquiladas. Las guerras se sabe como empiezan, pero no cómo acaban. Y en caso de que al final se rompa la cuerda, las consecuencias van a sufrirlas en un primer momento China y Rusia, y en segundo lugar, los aliados de Estados Unidos. Esto incluye a todos los países de la OTAN, que están ya en el punto de mira de los misiles rusos; pero tambien a Corea del Sur, Japón y Australia, que están en el punto de mira de los misiles chinos.
Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) is the world leader in the design, development and production of missile systems for critical requirement including air-to-air, strike, surface Navy air defense, land combat missiles, guided projectiles, exoatmospheric kill vehicles, missile defense and directed energy weapons.
Actually, RMS is offering a position of Principal Quality Engineer for Additive Manufacturing, to develop quality assurance and quality control processes necessary to deploy new technology complex precision manufacturing processes, particularly Additive Manufacturing (also referred to as 3D printing) to production.
Among other skills, candidates must demonstrate knowledge of key process characteristics and ability to implement effective process control techniques for Additive Manufacturing, and also ability to obtain Secret level security clearance. Security clearance factors include, but are not limited to, allegiance to the US, foreign influence, foreign preference, criminal conduct, security violations and drug involvement.
When Iran attempted to launch a cruise missile from a “midget” submarine earlier this week, Pentagon officials saw more evidence of North Korean influence in the Islamic Republic – with intelligence reports saying the submarine was based on a Pyongyang design, the same type that sank a South Korean warship in 2010.
According to U.S. defense officials, Iran was attempting to launch a Jask-2 cruise missile underwater for the first time, but the launch failed. Nonproliferation experts have long suspected North Korea and Iran are sharing expertise when it comes to their rogue missile programs: “The very first missiles we saw in Iran were simply copies of North Korean missiles,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a missile proliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. “Over the years, we've seen photographs of North Korean and Iranian officials in each other's countries, and we've seen all kinds of common hardware.”
When Iran tested a ballistic missile in late January, the Pentagon said it was based on a North Korean design. Last summer, Iran conducted another missile launch similar to a North Korean Musudan, the most advanced missile Pyongyang has successful tested to date. Defense analysts say North Korea's Taepodong missile looks almost identical to Iran's Shahab: “In the past, we would see things in North Korea and they would show up in Iran. In some recent years, we've seen some small things appear in Iran first and then show up in North Korea and so that raises the question of whether trade -- which started off as North Korea to Iran -- has started to reverse,” Lewis added.
Iran’s attempted cruise missile launch from the midget submarine in the Strait of Hormuz was believed to be one of the first times Iran has attempted such a feat. In 2015, North Korea successfully launched a missile from a submarine for the first time, and officials believe Tehran is not far behind. During testimony last week, Adm. Harry Harris, the head of American forces in the Pacific, warned the United States has no land-based short- or medium-range missiles because it is a signatory to the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces, or INF, treaty signed in 1987 between Russia and the United States. But Iran and North Korea are under no such constraints: "We are being taken to the cleaners by countries that are not signatories to the INF,” Harris told the House Armed Services Committee late last month.
Perhaps most worrisome for the United States is that Iran attempted this latest missile launch from a midget sub Tuesday in the narrow and crowded Strait of Hormuz, where much of the world's oil passes each day. Over a year ago, Iran fired off a number of unguided rockets near the USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier as she passed through the Strait of Hormuz in late December 2015. The U.S. Navy called the incident “highly provocative” at the time and said the American aircraft carrier was only 1,500 yards away from the Iranian rockets.
In July 2016, two days before the anniversary of the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, the Islamic Republic attempted to launch a new type of ballistic missile using North Korean technology, according to multiple intelligence officials. It was the first time Iran attempted to launch a version of North Korea’s BM-25Musudan ballistic missile, which has a maximum range of nearly 2,500 miles, potentially putting U.S. forces in the Middle East and Israel within reach if the problems are fixed.
In recent years, Hybrid Warfare has become increasingly widespread, comprising various conventional and nonconventional means of warfare, as well as non-military options. While technological progress will generate more opportunities, it can also bring about new threats. Advancements in the fields of robotics, artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing and nano-materials have not only shortened the product development cycle but have also given rise to a whole range of low-cost, yet effective military options. For example: In the past, skilled machinists with high-quality machine tools were required to manufacture Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs). However, in the last few years, Additive Manufacturing has advanced to the point where such EFPs could be ‘printed’. (Read more)
The Massachusetts-based defense contractor Raytheon has revealed that is investing in a 3D printer that can build what they call “big structures”. ¿3D Printing to produce hypersonic missiles? That seems to be what Raytheon is working on: “There have been some fundamental game changers in the world of hypersonic missiles, so not only can you build them, but you can build them affordably. With 3D printing, you can build things you couldn’t otherwise build.” Regarding components, hypersonic engines and missiles rely on very complex and efficient networks of cooling channels, as moving at five times the speed of sound creates a lot of heating friction that requires efficient vents. The shape of such cooling ducts may be difficult whether impossible to achieve with casting, drilling and cutting..., but with a 3D printer, it is possible at all.
Now, ¿Why to print only some components... if you can print almost the entire missile? That seems to be the target when the company says “We just made a big investment on a unique machine to do some very, very big structures.” And that target seems to be very high up on their agenda, bearing in mind that Raytheon has already set up two proposals for DARPA funding: The Tactical Boost-Glide (TBG) (Essentially, a missile with a rocket motor that ‘skips’ off the atmosphere, much like a stone on the water) and the Hypersonic Air-Breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC), a missile that shoots itself forward by sucking in huge amounts of oxygen at a speed of higher than Mach 5. Undoubtly, two projects where 3D printing fits.
Raytheon is thus, working on 3D printed missiles that can hit enemies long before they’ve had a chance to react: ¿What if they could hit a nuclear missile ready for launch before it lifts off? ¡Even complex anti-missile batteries wouldn’t be able to lock onto a missile travelling at such speeds! Then, ¿Could 3D printing change warfare as we know it? Time will say it.
In 2012, the Pentagon established the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute in Youngstown, Ohio, and many companies are using 3D printing more regularly in the manufacturing process. This technology, which makes manufacturing more agile and wastes very little material, is already being used aboard the USS Essex, a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship. In words of Adm. James Winnefeld, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,“The crew has printed everything from plastic syringes to oil tank caps, to the silhouettes of planes that are used on the mock-up of the flight deck to keep the flight deck organized”
Actually, the Pentagon is using 3D Printers and 3D Production Systems across the military services for multiple purposes not only in the R&D labs but also in the battlefield: "When needed, an item can be printed from an electronic blueprint or scanning an existing part. Just the U.S. Navy has about 70 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, projects at dozens of sites" Winnefeld said.
Regarding private companies, defense giant Lockheed Martin is using 3D printers to manufacture jigs and fixtures used to build the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: “We use hundreds of 3D-printed tools for F-35 manufacturing, such as bracket locators and drill templates,” Lockheed spokesman Mark Johnson said.
Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc., a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. (AJRD), announced plans for the next phase of its Competitive Improvement Program (CIP) that was launched in 2015:“We are two years into the first phase of our CIP affordability drive and the consolidation progress, and overhead cost reductions achieved to date have exceeded our expectations,” said Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and President Eileen Drake. “We intend to build on this success by expanding our CIP-related consolidation efforts so we can deliver the value our customers demand and position our company for further growth.”
Aerojet Rocketdyne plans to consolidate and expand its existing presence in Huntsville, Alabama with a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for AR1 engine production, Additive Manufacturing, Composites production and Research & Development, expected to be ready for production in mid-2019: “This expanded CIP effort is expected to result in $230 million in annual savings once complete, inclusive of the $145 million from the first phase of CIP,” said Drake. “Given the dynamic nature of this industry, strategic business decisions such as these, while difficult, are critical to establishing a solid course for our future.”
As the Additive Manufacturing matures and gains wider certification for military use, printed parts are becoming commonplace in all the product life cycle of missiles. Let us summarize two success stories, as published by their respective OEMs:
Aerojet
Aerojet Rocketdyne has been using Additive Manufacturing to make RL10 engines for the Atlas and Delta rockets: “Infusing this technology into full-scale rocket engines is truly transformative, as it opens up new design possibilities for our engineers and paves the way for a new generation of low-cost rocket engines,” said Jeff Haynes, the company’s Additive Manufacturing program manager. With the help of Stratasys, numerous components were 3D printed for the Atlas V ducting system in the rocket's payload fairing. The parts including brackets, nozzles, and panel close-outs, were 3D printed in ULTEM™ 9085 on a Fortus 900mc 3D Production System.
Lockheed Martin
Additive Manufacturing is helping Lockheed to replace old ICBMs, as stated by John Karas, the company Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program manager: “It’s not just about 3D printing or digital technology. We’re trying to bring 21st-century tools to a 21st-century system. You have to design the system and sustain it over 50 years, so you better have really good digital backbone to do that.” Lockheed has already 3D-printed and flown a handful of small parts for other projects, and will soon open a new facility at Hill AFB (Utah) that will have a digital design center and Additive Manufacturing shop.
As you know, THAAD has been deployed to South Korea by the US in response to North Korea's increased missile and nuclear tests. This deployment has drawn sharp opposition from China and Russia, whose territory is within the system's range.
Regarding China, this country expressed again its displeasure last Tuesday 2nd May, urging both sides to "stop the deployment immediately." "We will also firmly take necessary measures to safeguard our own interests," added Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has placed his country on high alert following North Korea's ballistic missile launch which failed because it was heading towards Russia.
Joint chiefs of staff in South Korea have confirmed that a medium-range missile, otherwise known as KN-17, launched from north-east at 49 degrees by an area near Puckchang, according to Fox News.
If these shocking claims are true, it serves a massive blow to ties between allies North Korea and Russia, with the prospect of an all-in, all-out World War 3 hanging on a knife edge as crazy Kim tries to build a missile capable of striking the US.
The Russian military has deployed the Airborne Early Warning and control (AEW) aircraft to Syria.
According to local sources, the AEW aircraft arrived the Hmeimim airbase in the town of Jableh few days after the US missile strike on the Al-Sha’irat airbase.
The aircraft was identified as an upgraded version of the A-50U equipped with the Vega Shmel-M radar, capable of detect the launch of a missile or a fighter jet in the range of 650km.
The deployment of the A-50U in Syria is believed to be aimed at improving the ability to detect hostile aircraft and missiles expanding the air defense capabilities of Russian forces.
