By Yi Whan-woo
South Korea, the United States and Japan are using all possible tactical reconnaissance assets, such as an Aegis destroyer and ground-based Green Pine radar, to monitor North Korea's possible launch of a ballistic missile, military officials said Friday.
"The Navy has deployed an Aegis destroyer in the West Sea while the Green Pine radar is fully operational," an official said on condition of anonymity. "The airborne Peace Eye early warning and control aircraft is also keeping a close watch on North Korea."
The move comes after increased activities at North Korea's main long-range rocket launch site in Tongchang-ri, which indicates that the secretive state may be preparing for a rocket launch.
South Korea and other U.S.-led allies suspect North Korea's rocket program is merely a cover for a ballistic missile test.
The authorities did not specify which of South Korea's three radar-equipped Aegis ships ― Sejong the Great, Yulgok Yi I and Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong ― has been dispatched.
Commissioned in 2008, Sejong the Great, the lead ship of the three KDX-III destroyers, has a SPY1-D radar unit on each side of the ship and can simultaneously track about 1,000 distinct activities within a 500 kilometer radius, providing 360 degree coverage.
In December 2012, the 7,600-ton warship detected North Korea's firing of a long-range rocket 54 seconds after the launch while it was deployed on the West Sea.
It also detected North Korea's previous launch of a long-range rocket in April 2009.
The Green Pine, equipped with a ballistic missile early warning radar system, has a range of more than 500 kilometers.
It detected North Korea's test of a long-range rocket on December 2012 120 seconds after the launch.
The U.S. has been employing a series of reconnaissance satellite systems, including the Defense Support Program (DSP) and the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS), to monitor North Korea, according to officials
DSP tracks ballistic missiles by the heat they generate when they were launched, including the heat of the infrared signals from their missile plumes.
SBIRS, which runs over the Korean Peninsula, is capable of tracking a ballistic missile within a geostationary orbit of 35,700 kilometers.
South Korea and the U.S. plan to set up a data-sharing network, titled "Link 16," to share real-time information fed by DSP and SBIRS.
Two of the U.S. spy satellites ― KH-11 and KH-12 ― also have been hovering over North Korea. Both of them can detect objects located as low as 15 centimeters above the ground.
Military sources report Japan has dispatched one of its Aegis destroyers, the Kongo-class JS Kirishima, which carry SM-3 interceptor missiles.
The three allies are bolstering efforts to better detect North Korea's military activities after they all failed to learn about Pyongyang's latest nuclear test on Jan. 6 in advance.
South Korea, the United States and Japan are using all possible tactical reconnaissance assets, such as an Aegis destroyer and ground-based Green Pine radar, to monitor North Korea's possible launch of a ballistic missile, military officials said Friday.
"The Navy has deployed an Aegis destroyer in the West Sea while the Green Pine radar is fully operational," an official said on condition of anonymity. "The airborne Peace Eye early warning and control aircraft is also keeping a close watch on North Korea."
The move comes after increased activities at North Korea's main long-range rocket launch site in Tongchang-ri, which indicates that the secretive state may be preparing for a rocket launch.
South Korea and other U.S.-led allies suspect North Korea's rocket program is merely a cover for a ballistic missile test.
The authorities did not specify which of South Korea's three radar-equipped Aegis ships ― Sejong the Great, Yulgok Yi I and Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong ― has been dispatched.
Commissioned in 2008, Sejong the Great, the lead ship of the three KDX-III destroyers, has a SPY1-D radar unit on each side of the ship and can simultaneously track about 1,000 distinct activities within a 500 kilometer radius, providing 360 degree coverage.
In December 2012, the 7,600-ton warship detected North Korea's firing of a long-range rocket 54 seconds after the launch while it was deployed on the West Sea.
It also detected North Korea's previous launch of a long-range rocket in April 2009.
The Green Pine, equipped with a ballistic missile early warning radar system, has a range of more than 500 kilometers.
It detected North Korea's test of a long-range rocket on December 2012 120 seconds after the launch.
The U.S. has been employing a series of reconnaissance satellite systems, including the Defense Support Program (DSP) and the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS), to monitor North Korea, according to officials
DSP tracks ballistic missiles by the heat they generate when they were launched, including the heat of the infrared signals from their missile plumes.
SBIRS, which runs over the Korean Peninsula, is capable of tracking a ballistic missile within a geostationary orbit of 35,700 kilometers.
South Korea and the U.S. plan to set up a data-sharing network, titled "Link 16," to share real-time information fed by DSP and SBIRS.
Two of the U.S. spy satellites ― KH-11 and KH-12 ― also have been hovering over North Korea. Both of them can detect objects located as low as 15 centimeters above the ground.
Military sources report Japan has dispatched one of its Aegis destroyers, the Kongo-class JS Kirishima, which carry SM-3 interceptor missiles.
The three allies are bolstering efforts to better detect North Korea's military activities after they all failed to learn about Pyongyang's latest nuclear test on Jan. 6 in advance.
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