Analysts say the high-altitude flight of the Musudan missile meant that North Korea had made progress in its push to be able to strike US forces throughout the region.
BEHIND THE NEWS North Korea went ahead with the launch in defiance of world opinion, which saw it as a none too plausibly disguised test of a ballistic missile meant to deliver a nuclear weapon.
But they then considered the Zeus system itself, and noted that its use of mechanically steered radars, with one radar per missile, meant that Zeus could only launch a small number of missiles at once.
This, combined with the switch of the nuclear deterrent from the RAF to the Royal Navy (with the Polaris missile) meant that the Victors were considered to be surplus to requirements.
In the 80s, sitting around doing nothing and waiting for the Russians to fire a missile meant guys had more time to give a shit about whether or not their buddy was gay.
I suppose it still is, though the present crisis over North Korea's missiles means that the war, if it starts, will do so outside that empty theatrical room and the deserted fields around it.
The ability of the SM-6 to perform many roles — shooting down airborne targets, hitting ships, attacking deep inland, and hitting ballistic missiles — means that it could be the perfect way to turn that first island chain into a major headache for Chinese military planners.
Russia maintains that the missiles meant to shoot down other missiles pose a threat to its own nuclear deterrence.
The increasing range of missiles meant that by the early 1960s they could be fired well out to sea and hit a target a thousand miles inland.
Some weapons, including M79 anti-tank missiles meant for more moderate groups, seem to have fallen into the hands of Jabhat al-Nusra and other Islamists.As international involvement grows, Syria's neighbours are struggling to avoid being dragged in.
