North Korea’s nuclear arsenal has expanded to 30 warheads and will grow further as Pyongyang produces increased quantities of weapons-grade uranium and plutonium, according to estimates.
In just three years, the North’s unpredictable leader, Kim Jong-un, will control sufficient fissile material to double that arsenal to as many as 60 weapons, says the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington.
To underscore this alarming increase, the U.S. estimated that North Korea owned just one or two nuclear weapons in 1999 and would have 10 or more by 2020, according to a secret Defense Intelligence Agency report obtained by The Washington Times shortly after it had circulated privately last decade.
The North has likely mastered the engineering to place a miniaturized nuclear warhead on its shorter-range Nodong missile that could hit South Korea and Japan. But it is unclear whether it has achieved a similar breakthrough for its family of longer-range ballistic missiles.
右系のメディア（Washington Times)が引用する右系の論者によるものであるが、その点を踏まえた上でいうと、たしかに、日韓に届く核ミサイル技術をたぶん、習得したのではないか、と言われている。
The commander in chief has the tools if he ultimately authorizes an air war to cripple North Korea’s nuclear infrastructure or for regime change, said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney.
He said the air plan should include dropping 20 to 30 Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bombs (MOABs) on hardened North Korean artillery sites, nullifying the North’s planned bombardment of the South Korean capital, Seoul.
“Those massive shock waves will kill crews, just like it did in Afghanistan,” said Mr. McInerney, referring to the April 13 bomb strike on Islamic State fighters, the first time the 21,000-pound, satellite-guided bomb was used in combat.
The Air Force also should unleash about 100 30,000-pound penetrating bombs on the North’s network of underground command centers and direct precision-guided 2,000-pound ordnance to seal underground hangar complexes to keep the North’s air force grounded.
Mr. McInerney said that when he conducted intelligence and operations planning, he looked at an 100-hour plan to destroy the North Korean air force and anti-aircraft ties.
“It’s easier to do now,” given the technology, he said.
He said the North has three land attack corridors for invading the South on the west and east coasts, and through central North Korea.
“But they are all very narrow and easy to seal off before they break out,” he said. “Air power will seal them off, and we will destroy them as they back up.”
また、退役した空軍将官によると、北朝鮮の核インフラを破壊するのには、先日アフガンでつかわれた大規模爆風爆弾兵器を２０－３０発、北朝鮮の砲撃発射場にぶち込んで、ソウルへ砲撃できないようにし、地中貫通爆弾で、地下ネットワークを爆破、さらに誘導爆弾で、地下格納庫をぶち壊して、北朝鮮の空軍を離陸不能にしてやればいい、と。
北朝鮮が陸から韓国を侵攻する危険もあるが、北からは、狭い道が３つしかなく、遮断するのは容易だ、と。
ーーーーうーーーむ、なんか簡単そうやな。
