US successfully tests ICBM defense system

 

The US military said Tuesday it had intercepted a mock-up of an intercontinental ballistic missile in a first-of-its-kind test that comes amid concerns over North Korea’s weapons program.

A ground-based interceptor launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California “successfully intercepted an intercontinental ballistic missile target” fired from the Reagan Test Site in the Marshall Islands, the military said in a statement.

Reports: Houthi missile hits military base near Saudi capital

An emboldened and belligerent Iran, that got everything it wanted out of the Obama administration, is clearly preparing for and provoking war:

 

Scud missile variants are being used by the Iran-backed Houthis.

 

A surface-to-surface missile launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels hit a Saudi military camp near Riyadh on Feb. 5, according to regional news reports.

The Saudi Ministry of Defense has not commented on the incident, but a number of local citizens reported on Twitter that the missile hit a military camp in the town of al-Muzahimiyah, 40 kilometers west of Riyadh.

Iran Shows Off Third Underground Missile Site

 

Qiam missile launch highlights hidden facilities

Iran’s military recently publicized a third underground missile facility and showed the launch of a new ballistic missile through the top of a mountain.

U.S. intelligence agencies said in a recent internal report on the launch that the new underground missile facility was disclosed by Iran in March.

It was the third time since October that Tehran showed off an extensive network of underground missile facilities. The new video, however, for the first time shows a missile launch from one of the country’s underground launch facilities.

China Again Tests Nuclear Hypersonic Missile

An artistic rendering of a hypersonic aircraft / AP

 

Sixth flight of DF-ZF glide vehicle indicates weapon a high priority for Beijing

China carried out a sixth flight test of its new high-speed nuclear attack vehicle on Monday designed to defeat U.S. missile defenses or carry out global strikes.

The ultra-fast maneuvering strike weapon known as the DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle was launched atop a ballistic missile fired from the Wuzhai missile test center in central China’s Shanxi Province, according defense officials.

Iran Unveils New Fateh-313 Ballistic Missile

The Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attended a ceremony on Saturday to unveil the “Fateh-313” missile, which operates on composite solid fuel and is said to be more accurate in pinpointing targets within a range of 500 kilometers.

Iran satellite launches tied to ballistic missile program, UN experts say

EXCLUSIVE: Iran has launched a space satellite using  technology that could “contribute to” the development of a ballistic missile capable of delivering nuclear weapons, according to a United Nations-appointed panel of experts monitoring the issue.

Tehran intends to launch more such satellites,  the panel said.

The most recent  launch came last February 15, the experts noted, adding that the Iranian government has already announced plans to conduct three additional satellite launches before March 2016.

India to Test Nuclear-Capable Agni-5 Missile on January 31

 

NEW DELHI, January 29 (Sputnik) – India will conduct the third test of the Agni-5, a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, on January 31, a source at the institution responsible for the launch told Sputnik Thursday.

5 Chinese Weapons of War Japan Should Fear

Why Tokyo should be concerned over Beijing’s rising military might.

Over the last several years Sino-Japanese relations have reached low after new low—all thanks to claims and counterclaims over the Senkaku islands (China refers to them as the Diaoyu islands). The relationship between the two countries, which had been tepid at best—quickly cooled beginning in 2010 as both sides jockeyed for position over the disputed islands.

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The challenge posed by the People’s Liberation Army has shaken a complacent Japanese government, which had left its national security establishment virtually unchanged since the 1980s. A national security council similar to that in the United States has been formed, secrecy laws have been passed and Japan’s defenses are shifting southward. Here are a five weapon systems that Tokyo should worry about as tensions with Beijing continue to simmer:

China displays new supersonic sub-launched missile for export

With an attacking range of 128km, this ballistic missile called CM-708UNA is designed to attack medium and large vessels. The missile, designed for the export market, is powered by turbojet and solid rocket boosters. It can be used to conduct precision attacks with the assistance of satellites.

Use of China’s anti-ship missile against US could trigger nuclear war

If China were to launch its DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile against a US carrier battle group in the Western Pacific, the US could respond with a full nuclear retaliation, according to Robert Farley, an assistant professor at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce of University of Kentucky in a recent article written for Washington-based National Interest magazine.

China may obtain Russia’s latest air missile system S400

Chinese military commentators said China may become the first foreign buyer of Russia’s S400 surface-to-air missile system, which could help the country integrate its air defense and anti-missile systems, reports Chinese national broadcaster CCTV.

The S400 system comes with powerful radar and has anti-jamming capabilities. It is able to create a multi-layer air defense structure with three guided missiles of different ranges as well as tracking hundreds of targets and attacking up to 36 of them at once.

3rd anti-satellite missile test launch in China: report

Once China is fully capable of operating its anti-satellite interceptor, Minnick said that the United States may no longer be able to protect its surveillance, navigation and communications satellites. China’s first two anti-satellite tests involving the SC-19 design, based on the DF-21 ballistic missile, took place in 2007 and 2010. However, only the first test was launched directly against a weather satellite. The other two tests were against ballistic missiles.

More Chinese missiles will be revealed soon: report

After the Chinese government acknowledged the existence of the DF-41 nuclear solid-fueled road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, the Nanning Evening News said that more advanced missiles will be revealed in the near future.

North Korea tells world ‘wait and see’ on new nuclear test

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – North Korea said on Friday that the world would have to “wait and see” when asked for details of “a new form” of nuclear test it threatened to carry out after the United Nations Security Council condemned Pyongyang’s recent ballistic missile launch.

North Korea fired two medium-range Rodong ballistic missiles into the sea on March 26. Its first firing in four years of mid-range missiles that can hit Japan followed a series of short-range rocket launches over the past two months.

Members of the Security Council on March 27 condemned the move as a violation of U.N. resolutions and that it would continue discussions on an “appropriate response.

North Korea (DPRK) reacted on Sunday with a threat to conduct what it called “a new form of nuclear test.

“The DPRK made it very clear, we will carry out a new form of nuclear test. But I recommend you to wait and see what it is,” North Korea’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Ri Tong Il said on Friday during the normally reclusive state’s third U.N. news conference this year.

Top US Official: China Will Soon Place Long-Range Nuclear Missiles On Submarines

China for the first time will likely have subs equipped with long-range nuclear missiles later this year, part of an increasingly potent submarine fleet, a top US officer said Tuesday,

The head of US Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Locklear, said the latest class of Chinese subs would be armed with a new ballistic missile with an estimated range of 4,000 nautical miles (7,500 kilometers).

“This will give China its first credible sea-based nuclear deterrent, probably before the end of 2014,” Locklear told the Senate Armed Services Committee.