Tuesday, April 17, 2018

This Time For Sure

It would be nice if a tiny force of accurate long-range missiles is the solution to the North Korean threat to bombard the northern suburbs of Seoul. But I doubt it.

This is a nice weapon:

South Korea is forming a special artillery brigade consisting of its Chunmoo MLRS (multiple launch rocket system). ...

The new brigade would probably have at least three battalions, each with 12 Chunmoo MLRS vehicles. These 36 Chunmoo vehicles could carry 432 of the 239mm guided rockets and would be deployed to deal with the hundreds of fortified North Korean firing positions for their long range artillery. The Chunmoo 239mm guided rockets are designed to penetrate bunkers and destroy the enemy artillery and rocket launchers.

Maybe, finally, precision and persistent surveillance will be the solution that rapidly knocks out the North Korean protected artillery assets that threaten Seoul.

But I have a lot of confidence that clever people can dull the effect of the new weapon with concealment, mobility, and distractions.

And heck, with so few key weapons, why wouldn't the North Koreans devote a major effort to destroy the brigade? Special forces and long-range fires would work.

North Korea could burn their otherwise useless air force in a suicide mission to hit the brigade.

I just don't have any confidence that South Korea can protect Seoul without advancing north of the DMZ to carve a no-launch zone where the North Korean artillery is stationed.

But sure, I hope South Korea has a silver bullet solution to the problem.