Hadrian_ wrote:I don't think that you'd want to shoot one down in mid-air, won't all that radioactive material just go everywhere?
There's always a risk of radioactive material being released due to rupture of the warheads. U.S/Russian and Chinese missiles carry multiple warheads designed to be released from the nose way up in the atmospere, and to do guided free-falls at pre-determined city/tactical targets on the ground. Destroying one of these Countries missiles is prudent to do early in the launch sequence (and politically impossible to set up), as once they're at altitude... the speed, accuracy and range required to shoot one down is extremely difficult. Besides, if they launch one, they're gonna launch the rest at the same time. But since we, and they have them, that's the nuclear deterrent scenario. The world would end. On these types of missiles, once the multiple warheads are released, however, it's game over for the targets. Not sure if the warheads arm for full nuclear fusion en route or during the re-entry phase of the warheads though. Certainly not fully armed to detonate during launch in case of malfunction.
However, In Korea's case, it's likely they only have one warhead per missile (and maybe only one missile), and may be easy to shoot down via U.S. surface warships off the coast.