SKorean Ship Torpedoed?!

[Ross]

Have the NKs being developing robot mine torpedos ( not sure of the
correct name for them ) .

I am referring to torpedoes that can be left on the sea floor and activate
themselves when a target approaches .

I realise it could have been fired from a sub which is probably much more likely .

[Ought Six]

Now that they have actually looked at the wreckage and know what happened, the question is, what will South Korea's response be? They know 'Dear Leader' is very ill, and the old hardline generals up there would like nothing better than a military response from SK. That would empower those same NK generals, which was no doubt the plan all along. I think they were behind the whole thing.

But can SK afford to just take this kind of crap, and do nothing at all? Or worse, just respond with some sort of millquetoast political gesture? I do not see any good options here.

[Ought Six]

R:

"I am referring to torpedoes that can be left on the sea floor and activate themselves when a target approaches ."

Those are sea floor encapsulated torpedo mines. Our version is called Captor. They are normally used to attack enemy submarines, but they can also be easily set to attack the acoustic signature of any selected vessel, submarine or surface vessel alike. You may have called that one quite correctly. It would not at all surprise me if they mined the disputed sea border area with one of those.

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/mk60.htm

[ProgressiveTokyo]

Great updates 06! I cant believe how little press this has received here in Japan as well.

I remember when that Russian sub sank a few years ago and 50 sailors died it was top story news for weeks. This has been buried way down and barely mentioned on the nightly news.

When I told my wife about it was like "really? I didnt hear about it" and she likes to stay informed.

[Nightowl]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8602302.stm

They've called off the search for survivors, at the request of family members, who are worried about additional casualties.

This may be because a fishing vessel that was part of the rescue operation sank, with 1 dead and 8 missing. They think it collided with a freighter.

[Ought Six]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100405/wl_csm/292486

Looks like the South Korean government is playing for time. They do not seem eager to take any action against North Korea.

[Brihard]

Originally Posted by Ought Six

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100405/wl_csm/292486

Looks like the South Korean government is playing for time. They do not seem eager to take any action against North Korea.

No kidding. From a strategic standpoint, what the hell is an 'appropriate' response to this?

[Ross]

I am wondering whether the Chinese may have supplied
rocket-propelled rising mines to NK as part of an arms package
in response to US sales to Taiwan .

Also I read somewhere that the Iranians were trying to buy that
kind of mine from China . Could there have been some kind of arms
swap between Iran and NK ?

[Ought Six]

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-...ut-retaliation

The stern section of the ship has been raised from the bottom. Apparently, the ship was blown into two pieces. The stern sank immediately, and the front section remained afloat long enough for sailors to don survival suits and jump into the water.

[golgicomplex]

If the damage is to the side of the ship just below the water line then it must be a torpedo surely. A floating mine would inflict damage to the bow of the ship and under water mine to the underside.

[Samen]

Originally Posted by Ross

I am wondering whether the Chinese may have supplied
rocket-propelled rising mines to NK as part of an arms package
in response to US sales to Taiwan .

Also I read somewhere that the Iranians were trying to buy that
kind of mine from China . Could there have been some kind of arms
swap between Iran and NK ?

Didint Iran have the supercritical faster than sound torpedo?

[Ought Six]

Yes, Iran claimed to have that. A small correction: it is a supercavitating torpedo, and its top speed is around 200 mph; not supersonic. More to the point, China has it, too.

[Samen]

Thanks, the correction was mayor, 200 mph is fast for a torpedo. Almost invisible I'd imagine.

[Ought Six]

It was designed as a big torpedo that one sub fires at another. It travels very fast to the preprogrammed coordinates, then releases its payload; a standard light homing torpedo that kills the enemy sub. Because of its speed, the enemy sub does not have time to react, and suddenly finds a deadly homing torpedo right in the lap that they cannot evade. I have read that there is now a version with a massive high explosive warhead meant to attack carriers.

[Ross]

Guest Post: For A North Korean Dissident, Pyongyan Sank The Cheonan
Tyler Durden's picture
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/20/2010 13:15 -0500

Submitted by Maurizio d'Orlando of AsiaNews.it

Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – A special squad of North Korean soldiers was behind last month's deadly sinking of a South Korean frigate, this according to human rights activist Choi Sung-yong, who cited a North Korean military officer. The claim could not be verified because Choi promised the source not to reveal his identity. In Seoul, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, they could not confirm the allegation.

Source .... Zerohedge


A video suggesting the worlds 4 th largest standing army ( NK ) has a toothless leader
http://www.youtube.com/user/FranTxis...15/7cPb45tzgdQ

[golgicomplex]

The South Korean naval ship sunk last month was hit by a North Korean torpedo, according to reports today.

Source:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle7104498.ece

Any military response will be costly and destructive. A more likely response will be further isolation of the DPRK.

[Ought Six]

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/...042201171.html

Ship may have been sunk by human-guided 'suicide torpedoes'.

[Greta]

Wow, apparently the ship broke in two. I don't see how that could be an accident.

S.Korea raises warship, finds clues on sinking-Reuters

(Reuters) - South Korea on Saturday raised the front half of a warship that exploded and sank a month ago near a contested sea border with North Korea, finding clues that support growing suspicions Pyongyang attacked the vessel.

[ProgressiveTokyo]

It was not an accident as I have posted elsewhere long before this news broke. This is a powerplay by the Generals in a coup. Kim Jong Il is dead, no doubt. Or damn near. There is a succession issue and the generals see this as their time to take over. If a war is looming the politics say dont put a child in charge. Seriously

[Lars]

Originally Posted by Ought Six

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8600959.stm

After examining the wreck, they are saying a torpedo attack as the cause of the sinking is "likely".

Thanks for the update. I was wondering if it was possible to examine the wreck. Now all we gotta figure is who did it, NK or China or Russia. Attn: CSI Seoul

[Ought Six]

L:

"I was wondering if it was possible to examine the wreck."

They have already raised the stern section, and have it in dry dock.

[Ross]

"North Korean submarines are all armed with heavy torpedoes
with 200 kg (441 lb) warheads," the military source was quoted as
saying by Yonhap. "It is the military intelligence's assessment that the
North attacked with a heavy torpedo.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUST...3:b33256500:z0

[Ought Six]

That makes sense. A light torpedo would lack the explosive power to break a ship in half like that.

[Exodia]

South Korea Def. Minister Calls for Retaliation:

``After finding the cause of the incident, we should pay back those responsible for killing our sailors. That's my opinion.''

As for concerns about a vicious cycle of retaliation, the minister said, ``We'll take into account such things, but retaliation, in whatever form it takes, must be done.''

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news...116_65220.html

[Ought Six]

The South Koreans are generally some of the nicest people you ever want to meet. They are slow to anger, but you absolutely do not want to piss them off. In Vietnam, the force that the VC and NVA feared the most was the RoK Marines. There are some very, very good reasons for that.