North Korea threatens to fire long-range rockets at AMERICA

 

Tuesday, Mar 26 201312AM 42°F3AM42°F5-Day Forecast

North Korea threatens to fire long-range rockets at AMERICA as it carries out live-fire drills to prepare coastal defences

• State TV announces this morning the country has entered combat mode
• Rockets and long-range artillery aimed at Guam, Hawaii and U.S. mainland
• South Korea say they haven't noticed 'unusual' military activity over border

By Martin Robinson

PUBLISHED:02:21 EST, 26 March 2013| UPDATED:10:30 EST, 26 March 2013

North Korea has warned that it is close to attacking U.S. military bases - including on mainland America - as the rogue state accused their 'enemy' of intimidation and threats.

The communist country's state media has said its strategic rocket and long-range artillery units have been ordered to enter the highest level of combat mode and are trained on three targets.

Kim Jong-Un's dictatorship said on television it would be looking to hit Guam, Hawaii and mainland America after U.S. bombers flew more sorties threatening the North.

Observations: North Korea has threatened to fire missiles at America as it stepped up its military exercises as leader Kim Jong-Un tries to show military strength

Intense concentration: Kim watches soldiers of the Korean People's Army (KPA) taking part in the landing and anti-landing drills of KPA Large Combined Units 324 and 287 and KPA Navy Combined Unit 597

Kim speaks to his generals: His regime said on television it would be looking to hit Guam, Hawaii and mainland America after U.S. bombers flew more sorties threatening the North

Leading the way: Kim is followed by his top brass as he walks towards the observation post to watch the drills

Kim talks to lady artillery soldiers as he inspects his forces: South Korea's defence ministry said it had detected no signs of unusual activity by the North's military but will monitor the situation

The ladies of the NKA artillery crowd around their Dear Leader: The South and the U.S. military are conducting their own drills until the end of April, which they have stressed are strictly defensive in nature

'From this moment, the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army will be putting in combat duty posture No. 1 all field artillery units including long-range artillery units strategic rocket units that will target all enemy object in U.S. invasionary bases on its mainland, Hawaii and Guam,' the North's KCNA news agency said.

South Korea's defence ministry said it had detected no signs of unusual activity by the North's military but will monitor the situation.

The South and the U.S. military are conducting drills until the end of April, which they have stressed are strictly defensive in nature.

But the rival Koreas have had several bloody naval skirmishes in disputed Yellow Sea waters and there is some worry among experts in the region that more fighting could follow.

The North previously threatened nuclear attack on the United States and South Korea, although it is not believed to have the technology to hit continental United States with an atomic weapon.

It has responded angrily to reports that America has flown B-52 bomber sorties over the Korean peninsula as part of the annual military drills with South Korean forces.

Girl power: The North Korean female artillery troops heave their multiple rocket launcher into place near a possible invasion landing zone

Live fire exercise: North Korean female artilleries firing rockets during the landing and anti-landing drills of KPA Large Combined Units 324 and 287 and KPA Navy Combined Unit 597 at a location on North Korea's east coast

Warming up... for what? The rival Koreas have had several recent bloody naval skirmishes in disputed Yellow Sea waters and there is some worry among experts in the region that more fighting could follow

Dangerous: This picture captures the moment a rocket flies from its launcher during the live-fire drills

North Korea has stepped up its military exercises in response to what it regards as 'hostile' joint drills by South Korea and the United States after Pyongyang was sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council for a nuclear test in February.

It is not known if North Korea possesses drones, although a report on South Korea's Yonhap news agency last year said that it had obtained 1970s-era U.S. target drones from Syria to develop into attack drones.

Tensions have mounted on the Korean peninsula since North Korea staged its first successful long-range rocket launch in December.

It followed this up with its third nuclear weapons test in February.

Pyongyang is barred from developing missile and nuclear-related technology under U.N. sanctions imposed after previous nuclear tests.

Most military experts say that the North will likely not launch an all-out war against South Korea and its U.S. ally due to its outdated weaponry.

Overseeing the action: North Korea has stepped up its military exercises in response to what it regards as 'hostile' joint drills by South Korea and the United States

Blow up that bit: Kim issues instructions to his commanders. Tensions have mounted on the Korean peninsula since North Korea staged its first successful long-range rocket launch in December

Serious work: Most military experts say that the North will likely not launch an all-out war against South Korea and its U.S. ally due to its outdated weaponry

Test: North Korea has also threatened to launch precision attack weapons at US Navy bases in South East Asia. Here an anti-aircraft missile is fired during a drill in front of the country's leader Kim Jong-un

Threat: A large number U.S. military bases are within range of the new missiles - shown here

Dr Virginie Grzelczyk, an expert on North Korea at Nottingham Trent University, said: 'South Korea and the United States are still holding joint military drills until the end of April, and in light of this military activity, North Korea seems to be flexing some muscles, or actually signifying that it, too, is a military power.

'The pictures we have seen can be read as trying to reach an international audience, but also a domestic one, reinforcing the idea that the country is strong in light of a potential U.S. or South Korean aggression.

'The pictures we have seen can be read as trying to reach an international audience, but also a domestic one, reinforcing the idea that North Korea is strong in light of a potential U.S. or South Korean aggression'

Dr Virginie Grzelczyk, an expert on North Korea at Nottingham Trent University

'The Kim Jong Un regime is still quite young, and though North Korea has had a string of successes recently with its rocket launches, Kim Jong Un's military credentials are very slim and he still remains to be seen as a military leader.

'The United States and South Korea has also just signed a new military plan yesterday that would provide for a joint military response in case of North Korean provocations.

'This leads to an interesting point, as conventional deterrence theory would say the U.S. would protect South Korea in case of war, but here we are dealing with small provocations.

'It seems to me that both the United States and North Korea as well have a very clear understanding of first-use of military might, and that any aggression is understood as being potentially leading to a nuclear strike.

'The US has the capabilities, and North Korea has bombs, so it is unclear whether or not they could actually launch them in a reliable fashion.

'Finally, any movement made by the US– be it reinforcing its missile defence in light of a potential North Korean threat or conducting joint drills with South Korea – will be exploited and framed by North Korea as being aggressive moves, which they to some extent are, as in this particular game the U.S. is protecting their strategic interests and North Korea is protecting theirs.'

Aggressive: North Korea's supreme military command said it had U.S. bases in Guam and Okinawa in their sights. This picture shows a military drill of the Korean People's Army at an undisclosed location in North Korea.

Andersen Air Force Base, Guam: North Korea is objecting to the flights of B-52's (pictured) over the Korean peninsula - threatening massive retaliation

Pyongyang is viewed as more likely to stage an attack along a disputed sea border between the two countries as it did in 2010 when it shelled a South Korean island, killing four people.

Such a move would provide a major test for new South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who took office pledging closer ties with the North if it abandoned its nuclear push.