USSTRATCOM Detects, Tracks North Korean Missile Launch into Space

U.S. Strategic Command Public Affairs
2/6/2016

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. – U.S. Strategic Command systems detected and tracked what we assess was a North Korean missile launch into space at 6:29 p.m. CST.

 

The missile was tracked on a southerly launch over the Yellow Sea.

 

NORAD determined that at no time was the missile a threat to North America.  The men and women of USSTRATCOM, NORAD AND USNORTHCOM, AND USPACOM remain vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations and are fully committed to working closely with our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies to maintain security.

 

UPDATE 1 (Feb. 7, 2016): Initial observations from U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for Space, through its Joint Space Operations Center, following the launch of a North Korean missile into space, indicate two objects – NORAD catalog identification numbers 41332 and 41333 – are in orbit and at an inclination of 97.5 degrees. These observations are available on the publicly-available website Space-Track.org.

 

Note: An inclination of 97.5 means the object is rotating in the opposite direction of the Earth's rotation at a 97.5 degree angle from the Earth's equator, meaning the two objects are essentially orbiting over the poles.

 

UPDATE 2 (Feb. 8, 2016): The two objects U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for Space, through its Joint Space Operations Center, tracked following the launch of a North Korean missile into space – NORAD catalog identification numbers 41332 and 41333 – have been added to USSTRATCOM’s satellite catalog on the publicly-available website Space-Track.org. The object with NORAD catalog identification numbers 41332 is KMS 4, the payload. The object with NORAD catalog identification numbers 41333 is UNHA 3 R/B, the rocket body.

 

45th Space Wing launches satellite

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. (AFNS) -- The 45th Space Wing successfully launched a United Launch Alliance-built Delta IV rocket carrying the sixth Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) satellite at 8:29 p.m., Aug. 7 from Space Launch Complex 37B here.

A combined team of military, government civilians and contractors from across the 45th SW provided support to the mission, including weather forecasts, launch and range operations, security, safety and public affairs.

The satellite will provide additional wideband satellite communications coverage for U.S. defense forces and international partners, to include Australia, which supported the cost of the sixth spacecraft under a partnership agreement.

The WGS system provides anytime, anywhere communication for the warfighter through broadcast, multicast, and point-to-point connections.

WGS is the only military satellite communications system that can support simultaneous X and Ka band communications, with crossbanding that makes it transparent to the warfighter to communicate across terminal types.

WGS provides essential communication services, allowing Combatant Commanders to exert command and control of their tactical forces, from peacetime to military operations. Tactical forces will rely on WGS to provide high-capacity connectivity to the Defense Information Systems Network (DISN)

Brig. Gen. Nina Armagno the commander of the 45th SW praised the entire, mission-focused team on the outstanding results.

"I am proud of the hard work of the 45th Space Wing, the Space and Missile Systems Center, United Launch Alliance, Boeing, our industry and mission partners and everyone involved in this
WGS-6 launch," said Armagno, who also served as the Launch Decision Authority for the second time in less than three weeks.

The 45th SW also launched a United Launch Alliance-built Atlas V rocket carrying the second Mobile User Objective System satellite, built by Lockheed Martin, for the U.S. Navy from here July 19.

"Once again, our entire team worked hand-in-hand to make this another successful launch for the U.S. Air Force and our nation," Armagno said.

Navy Satellite Launch to Boost DoD Satellite Communications

By Steven A. Davis, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Public Affairs

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. (NNS) -- The Navy's second Mobile User Objective System satellite was launched today at 9:00 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 41. The successful launch represents a key step in providing enhanced satellite communications for the Navy and Department of Defense (DoD).

 MUOS is a next-generation narrowband tactical satellite communications system designed to significantly improve beyond-line-of-sight communications for U.S. forces on the move. MUOS will provide military users 10 times more communications capacity over the existing system by leveraging 3G mobile technology, including simultaneous voice and data capability.

 "The MUOS-2 launch is an especially significant event for the program because not only are we launching the second satellite, but the ground system, the networking software and the waveform are all aligning at the same time," explained Navy Cmdr. Matt Bohlin, the MUOS principal assistant program manager. "With MUOS-2 on-orbit this fall, we'll be testing the full system with all the new capabilities that it brings to the warfighter."

 The first MUOS satellite, launched in February 2012 and accepted for operational use by U.S. Strategic Command in November, has been providing high quality voice communications for users.

 The Navy plays a key role in national space efforts by providing narrowband satellite communications for the DoD and other government agencies. MUOS satellite communications capability is designed for mobile users who require high-speed mission data with higher data rates and improved operational availability.

 Bohlin says users requiring these essential services will soon see significantly improved benefits when the full system suite comes on-line.

 "Users are going to notice more bandwidth that is accessible on demand as opposed to preplanned channels, better voice quality and better connectivity while not being impacted by remote regions, urban environments or inclement weather." he said. "It will be a revolutionary leap for satellite communications for DoD."

 With current capability, tactical users have limited access to narrowband satellite communications, and channels must be preplanned and allocated. Additionally, dismounted users had to be stationary to acquire the satellite.

 With MUOS, users will have access on demand and be able to use the service while on the move and in all environments and weather to talk to beyond-line-of-sight recipients, whether they are on the other side of a mountain or the other side of the world.

 Services will also be available for platforms such as ships, aircraft and vehicles.

 Over the next several days, the satellite, which functions much like a cell tower in space, will transition to its geosynchronous orbit location 22,000 miles above the earth. Its solar arrays and mesh antennas will then be deployed and on-orbit testing will begin for eventual commissioning into service.

 The constellation of four satellites and one on-orbit spare will extend narrowband communications availability well past 2025.

 The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, the Navy's Program Executive Office for Space Systems, Chantilly, Va., and its Communications Satellite Program Office, San Diego, are responsible for the MUOS program.

AEHF-1 Milsat may launch next week

According to an article on SpaceFlight now, the AEHF-1 Milsat is scheduled to launch next week, August 12, and will be tested at an on orbit geo location of 90 degrees west.

The advanced satellite that will be used for relying secure US military communications will be launched on an Atlas 5 (5-531 configuration) rocket from Cape Canaveral AS, Florida. Liftoff had been targeted for August 12 at 7:14 a.m. EDT, but the launch could be sliding a day or two.

This maiden AEHF bird should be ready, if all goes well, to enter service early next year from an orbital location dictated by the needs at that time, officials said.

"AEHF will provide tactical and strategic support to a wide variety of Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force users," said Col. Michael Sarchet, commander of the Protected Satellite Communications Group at the Space and Missile Systems Center.

The U.S. military purchased a series of AEHF satellites for launches in the coming years to replace the aging Milstar communications spacecraft that link the national leadership and warfighters. The Advanced EHF Program is the next generation of global, highly secure, survivable communications system within all services of the Department of Defense.

"AEHF is a very sophisticated satellite because it is built to provide the highest levels of protection for our nation's most critical users. Encryption, low probability of intercept and detection, jammer resistance and the ability to penetrate the electro-magnetic interference caused by nuclear weapons are essential features when communication can be of the highest priority," Sarchet said.

In Nov. 2001, the U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Northrop Grumman Space Technology (Formerly TRW Space & Electronics) a $2.698 billion contract to begin the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase of the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (Advanced EHF) Program.

The SDD phase will deploy two Advance EHF satellites and the Advance EHF mission control segment. The new mission control segment will support both Milstar and AEHF. Lockheed Martin will serve as the developer of the ground segment, satellite bus provider, space vehicle integrator and overall systems integrator and prime contractor. This role builds on Lockheed Martin's successful experience on Milstar and DSCS. Northrop Grumman will provide the payload and associated components (digital processor and RF equipment).

The MILSATCOM Program Office, located at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the Advanced EHF contract manager and lead agency for ensuring the secure communications capabilities of this system are made available to the warfighter.

The Advanced EHF Program is the follow-on to the DoD's Milstar highly secure communication satellite program, which currently has a four-satellite operational constellation. The last Milstar satellite was successfully launched in April 2003.

As envisioned by the Pentagon, the fully operational Advanced EHF constellation will consist of four crosslinked satellites providing coverage of the Earth from 65 degrees north latitude to 65 degrees south. These satellites will provide more data throughput capability and coverage flexibility to regional and global military operations than ever before. A fifth satellite built could be used as a spare or launched to provide additional capability to the envisioned constellation.

Advanced EHF satellites will provide 10 times greater total capacity and offer channel data rates six times higher than that of Milstar II communications satellites. The higher data rates permit transmission of tactical military communications such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data.

To accomplish this, Advanced EHF adds new higher data rate modes to the low data rate and medium data rate modes of Milstar II satellites. The higher data rate modes will provide data rates up to 8.2 million bits of data per second (Mbps) to future Advanced EHF Army terminals. That rate is more than 150 times faster than the 56 kilobit-per-second modems of today's personal computers. Each Advanced EHF satellite employs more than 50 communications channels via multiple, simultaneous downlinks. For global communications, the Advanced EHF system uses inter-satellite crosslinks, eliminating the need to route messages via terrestrial systems.



U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet
Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) System

Mission/Vision

The Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) System is a joint service satellite communications system that will provide survivable, global, secure, protected, and jam-resistant communications for high-priority military ground, sea and air assets. Advanced EHF will allow the National Security Council and Unified Combatant Commanders to control their tactical and strategic forces at all levels of conflict through general nuclear war and supports the attainment of information superiority.

Background

The AEHF System is the follow-on to the Milstar system, augmenting and improving on the capabilities of Milstar, and expanding the MILSATCOM architecture. AEHF will provide connectivity across the spectrum of mission areas, including land, air and naval warfare; special operations; strategic nuclear operations; strategic defense; theater missile defense; and space operations and intelligence.

Features

Part of the MCSW's Protected SATCOM Group, the system consists of four satellites in geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) that provides 10 times the throughput of the 1990s-era Milstar satellites with a substantial increase in coverage for users. First launch in late 2010, AEHF will provide continuous 24-hour coverage between 65 degrees north and 65 degrees south latitude. The AEHF system is composed of three segments: space (the satellites), ground (mission control and associated communications links) and terminals (the users). The segments will provide communications in a specified set of data rates from 75 bps to approximately 8 Mbps. The space segment consists of a cross-linked constellation of three satellites. The mission control segment controls satellites on orbit, monitors satellite health and provides communications system planning and monitoring. This segment is highly survivable, with both fixed and mobile control stations. System uplinks and crosslinks will operate in the extremely high frequency (EHF) range and downlinks in the super high frequency (SHF) range. The terminal segment includes fixed and ground mobile terminals, ship and submarine terminals, and airborne terminals used by all of the Services and international partners (Canada, Netherlands and UK). MCSW is responsible for acquisition of the space and ground segments as well as the Air Force terminal segments. The Army and Navy will acquire their own terminals.

General Characteristics

Primary Function: Near-worldwide, secure, survivable satellite communications
Primary Contractor: Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company
Payload: Onboard signal processing, crossbanded EHF/SHF communications
Antennas: 2 SHF Downlink Phased Arrays, 2 Crosslinks, 2 Uplink/Downlink Nulling Antennas, 1 Uplink EHF Phased Array, 6 Uplink/Downlink Gimbaled Dish Antenna, 1 Each Uplink/downlink earth coverage horns
Capability: Data rates from 75 bps to approximately 8 Mbps

Airmen upgrade GPS constellation

by Scott Prater, 50th Space Wing Public Affairs

SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Airmen from the 2nd Space Operations Squadron and from the 19th SOPS took control of the Air Force's newest GPS satellite following its launch into orbit May 28 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

The GPS IIF SV-1 satellite represents a substantial upgrade for the GPS constellation. Thanks to improvements with the cesium-based atomic clocks used for timing, the satellite is expected to provide more accurate navigation signals than those of its predecessors.

The new IIF satellite also will broadcast two new signals: a jam resistant military code signal and a third civil signal known as the L5.

This latest addition is part of an ongoing modernization effort for the GPS constellation by Air Force officials.

"We're continuously replacing satellites in the constellation to ensure GPS remains the world's gold standard for position, timing and navigation," said Lt. Col. Mike Manor, the 2nd SOPS director of operations. "The GPS constellation is made up of 24 slots in space surrounding the earth where we place our satellites. This slot scheme and satellite placement ensures GPS users receive the most accurate navigation data at any time, at any place around the entire globe."

With the addition of the IIF SV-1, the GPS constellation now consists of 31 operational satellites. The idea is to keep newer satellites covering the primary slots. As the older satellites age, Air Force operators will move them out of the constellation and replace those primary slots with new vehicles.

"In a way, it's a constant transition as we continue to field newer and more capable vehicles," Colonel Manor said.

That constant transition into newer, more technologically advanced satellites has allowed the GPS wing, 2nd SOPS and 19th SOPS Airmen to exceed the required accuracy performance for GPS.

"We are exceeding the required sub-6 meters at 98 percent accuracy standard," Colonel Manor said. "We advertise that we are sub-3 meters on average, which is the most accurate GPS signal in the history of the program, so we're crushing the sub-6 meter requirement for our global users."

It's important to note the system's improving performance because military and civilian users worldwide have come to rely heavily on GPS.

Not since the invention of the radio has a free utility affected so many people on such a wide and varied scale. GPS service initially was designed and used for military purposes, but its civilian uses and popularity have brought the Air Force into an increasingly public arena.

GPS satellites provide combat capability for military applications, as well as ground vehicle and aircraft navigation aids. Civilians also use GPS as timing and navigation aids, plus they rely on GPS for power-grid management, banking, stock market transactions and cell-phone service.

Airmen in the GPS Operations Center receive 75 to 100 requests each week for various levels of support. Their primary mission is to support military users, providing them with information to take full advantage of the modernized utility of the GPS signal.

"Any time a civil user of GPS reports a loss of GPS signal, we provide a current status of the GPS constellation and provide additional information to help them determine the cause of their outage," said 1st Lt. Caitlyn Diffley, a 2nd SOPS payload systems operator. "The vast majority of the time, I'd say 99 percent, the outage is related to some issue with the receiver unit, such as software glitches or installation issues."

Colonel Manor said in this most recent case, the issue involved a decryption problem with a specific vendor, which affected a specific military-use receiver.

The most recent launch of the new IIF satellite represents the first of 12 IIF satellites scheduled for launch in the next few years.

After a 3 to 4 month checkout of the new satellite, the vehicle will enter the operational constellation and begin broadcasting its navigation signal to users. The next IIF launch is anticipated for November.

First Minotaur IV Lite launches from Vandenberg

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- Members from the 30th Space Wing here launched the first Minotaur IV Lite launch vehicle at 4 p.m. April 22 here.

The rocket carried the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2.

The Minotaur family of launch vehicles are provided by the Orbital/Suborbital Program 2 and managed by officials from the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center's Space Development and Test Wing's Launch Test Squadron located at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.

Tacsat 3 Launch on Again

The new launch date for the TacSat-3 mission is May 19 with a backup day of May 20. The launch window for both days is 7:35 to 11:30 p.m EDT.

I have complete information on the special payloads being carried on this launch here on the Milcom Monitoring Post blog at http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2009/05/rocket-set-for-launch-on-virginia.html

Tacsat 3 Launch Scrubbed Again!

According to http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/missions/tacsat3.html, the May 8 launch of Tacsat 3 and the other 3 payloads was scrubbed until later in May. Will update as soon as a new date is announced.

Original story at http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2009/05/rocket-set-for-launch-on-virginia.html

Rocket set for launch on Virginia Eastern Shore

A U.S. military satellite designed to detect hidden enemy weapons and quickly inform U.S. troops of their location is set for launch from Virginia's Eastern Shore tomorrow evening from 2000-2300 EDT. The Air Force TacSet-3 satellite and two other payloads is set to blast off on a 69-foot-high Minotaur 1 rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.

TacSat-3 features three revolutionary trials: the Raytheon Company-built Advanced Responsive Tactically Effective Military Imaging Spectrometer hyperspectral imager, the Office of Naval Research's Satellite Communications Package, and the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Avionics Experiment. This trio of payloads will offer real-time imagery (within 10 minutes of collection), sea-based information transmitted from ocean buoys and plug-and-play avionics to assist the warfighter in keeping one step ahead of the adversary.

Scientists say the 880-pound satellite atop the $60 million spacecraft will offer hyperspectral images and deliver them in 10 minutes. Officials say it is especially suited to battle conditions in the rugged, mountainous terrain of Afghanistan.

Military officials say it the satellite is successful, it could be ready for actual battlefield use in a year or two.

Two of the Tactical Satellite-3's trio of payloads may be called secondary, but their importance to the success of the spacecraft's year-long mission is primary.

Employing plug-and-play technology, the Space Avionics Experiment will provide backup downlink capability for TacSat-3's main experiment, the Advanced Responsive Tactically-Effective Military Imaging Spectrometer, and the Satellite Communications Package will transmit sea-based and space-generated data to ground stations.

Once launched, it will serve as the inaugural demonstration of plug- and-play avionics operating in the cosmos environment. The AFRL-funded SAE payload features plug-and-play components similar to desktop computer Universal Serial Bus components, which, if required due to a system failure, will perform data transfer to enable downlink of ARTEMIS sensor data, as well as will provide TacSat-3 with global positioning system information.

"The purpose of the technology is to significantly reduce spacecraft development time from years to months to weeks, as well as to lower production costs," said Maurice Martin, responsive systems group lead, the AFRL's Space Vehicles Directorate. "Our plan during TacSat-3's flight is to evaluate the Space Avionics Experiment on an occasional basis to ensure the components' reliability in case they are called upon to function in full operational mode."

Managed by the Office of Naval Research, the Satellite Communications Package will collect data from ocean buoys and then TacSat-3's onboard processor will download the details to a ground station. In addition, the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command will utilize the SCP experiment's ultra high frequency radio link known as the Army Tactical Data Link.

"USASMDC/ARSTRAT is going to use the Satellite Communications Package payload's ATDL to provide a direct tactical downlink of onboard processed information from the ARTEMIS to the joint force commander. The JFC will have direct access to task the spacecraft as it appears over the horizon, while the satellite is still in view, the requested information will then be transmitted back to the JFC," said Allen Kirkham, Army Space and Missile Defense Command Battle Lab technical lead for the TacSat-3 Joint Military Assessment, Peterson AFB, Colo. "We will coordinate with the TacSat-3 program team to utilize the SCP's ATDL for a few two-week periods during the spacecraft's 12-month mission. We also intend to use the SCP's ATDL during a major exercise to allow us to collect data and perform a Joint Military Utility Assessment of the satellite and sensor's capabilities to support the joint force commander in the field."

As a significant team member in the program, the Space and Missile Systems Center's Space Development and Test Wing, also situated at Kirtland AFB, is providing the Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Minotaur I launch vehicle. The four-stage rocket consists of two structures taken from retired Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles, and another two stages from Orbital's Pegasus booster. In addition, the Dept. of Defense's Operationally Responsive Space office is underwriting the launch and will be heading the Military Utility assessment to determine the operational value of the low-cost satellite and its three payloads. SMC's Space Development and Test Wing will also assist mission operations during TacSat-3's flight in Low Earth Orbit at approximately 425 kilometers (264 miles) altitude.

The downlink frequencies for this spacecraft have not been determined. We believe there will be a UHF military downlink from this satelite. Any reports on the freqs to be used by this bird or any post launch intercepts would be appreciated.

Three cubesats will be launched as secondary payloads on the TacSat-3 mission. The satellites, which contain their own power and data systems, are four-inch cubes that weigh 2.2 pounds each. The cubesats are being provided by California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, Calif. and the Hawk Institute for Space Sciences, Pocomoke City, Md.

These three cubesats are named PharmaSat-1, HawkSat-1 and PolySat CP6. The three satellites are placed in a Poly Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD), the standard deployment system for cubesats. The P-POD was developed by the Aerospace Engineering Department at Cal Poly. During the rocket’s ascent, each cubesat will be deployed separately from the P-POD into space.

The PharmaSat experiment, developed by NASA’s Ames Research Center and will measure the influence of microgravity upon yeast resistance to an antifungal agent. PharmaSat focuses on questions key to countermeasure development for long-term space travel and habitation.

PharmaSat-1 will be in a low earth orbit at 40 degrees inclination. This submission is for a beacon on board PharmaSat. The orbit should be nearly circular with an altitude of 390 Km at the start of the mission, degrading to 200km after approx 250 to 300 days, at which time it would de-orbit. There will be a 150mW UHF beacon operating with 1200baud AX25 packet for 1/2 sec every 5 secs. Command and control will use an experimental licence in the 2.4 GHz ISM band. The satellite will be a triple cubesat with a mass of approx 4 kg. The co-ordinated downlink frequency is 437.465 MHz. See http://www.inwspace.org/genesatbeacon_fig1.htm for more info.

Hawksat-1 is a demonstrator cubesat mission. Payload consists of multiple COTS and custom products. The co-ordinated downlink frequency is 437.345 MHz. Views can be found at http://www.hawkspace.org/hawksat.htm

The experiment Polysat CP6 will measure plasma fields, using three tape measures that extend out about a meter, charging them up to 400 volts, and looking at the electrons flowing around the spacecraft in the plasma. The co-ordinated downlink frequency is 437.365 MHz (1200 bps AX.25). See http://polysat.calpoly.edu/index.php

North Korean Satellite Launch May Violate U.N. Rule, Mullen Says

By John J. Kruzel, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday expressed concern over a possible North Korean satellite launch that could violate United Nations sanctions against nuclear testing by the government in Pyongyang.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said North Korea has threatened a launch as soon as next week, and added that U.S. ships today moved from Japanese ports toward the Korean peninsula.

North Korea reportedly has placed a Taepodong 2 missile at a launch facility in preparation for a launch. Pyongyang has stated the long-range missile is equipped with a commercial satellite and poses no danger, according to reports.

But Mullen said the launch would contravene U.N. Resolution 1718, a unanimous decision the U.N. Security Council reached in 2006 to block attempts by North Korea to employ such technology.

He added that it's unlikely the missile in question could reach U.S. territory, but it "works towards technology to do that," the admiral said.

Appearing on CNN today, Mullen showed imagery that he said depicts a North Korean missile with stacked boosters on a launch pad. He added that North Korean leader Kim Jong II has stated he is readying for a launch between April 4 and 8.

"There's an expectation that even though the North Koreans say this is a satellite launch, what is of most concern to us is we believe it violates [Resolution 1718]," Mullen said. "[It] says very clearly that the technology supporting the development of ballistic missiles is against that resolution no matter what they're packaging."

Mullen said the engineering, guidance and engines involved in the primed missile are identical to the kind of capabilities required in manufacturing a ballistic missile.

"Potentially, with where this could go long-term, [Jong] can develop a system that could actually target us," Mullen said, adding that any upcoming launch could be "very disturbing to the region."

N. Korea warns intercepting 'satellite' will prompt counterstrike+

PYONGYANG/BEIJING, March 9 (AP) - (Kyodo)—North Korea warned Monday that any move to intercept what it calls a satellite launch and what other countries suspect may be a missile test-firing would result in a counterstrike against the countries trying to stop it.

"We will retaliate (over) any act of intercepting our satellite for peaceful purposes with prompt counterstrikes by the most powerful military means," the official Korean Central News Agency quoted a spokesman of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army as saying.

If countries such as the United States, Japan or South Korea try to intercept the launch, the North Korean military will carry out "a just retaliatory strike operation not only against all the interceptor means involved but against the strongholds" of the countries, it said.

"Shooting our satellite for peaceful purposes will precisely mean a war," it added.

North Korea earlier announced it is preparing to put a communications satellite into space, but outside observers suspect it may in fact be a test-firing of a long-range ballistic missile.

The United States, Japan and South Korea have said that even if Pyongyang calls the launch a missile test, it would violate existing U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The same North Korean statement said the country's military will cut off communications with its South Korean counterparts during the U.S.- South Korean exercises for the duration of the exercises beginning Monday.

A separate, more rare statement by the KPA's Supreme Command was quoted by the KCNA as saying that its soldiers are under orders to be "fully combat-ready" during U.S.-South Korean military exercises beginning Monday.

The North's armed forces have been ordered to "deal merciless retaliatory blows" should there be any intrusion "into the sky and land and seas of the DPRK even an inch."

North Korea has demanded a stop to this month's U.S.-South Korean exercises, and said earlier it cannot guarantee the security of South Korean civilian airplanes flying through its territorial airspace while they are under way.

N. Korea threatens war if satellite is shot down

By JAE-SOON CHANG
Associated Press Writer

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea put its armed forces on standby Monday and threatened retaliation against anyone seeking to stop it from firing what regional powers fear will be a missile in the latest barrage of threats from the communist regime.

Pyongyang also cut off a military hot line with the South, causing a complete shutdown of their border and stranding hundreds of South Koreans working in an industrial zone in the North Korean border city of Kaesong.

See the complete story at http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96QFQDG0&show_article=1