A North Korean torpedo attack was the most likely cause for the sinking of a South Korean warship last month, according to a U.S. military official.
The United States believes the ship was sunk by the blast of an underwater explosion, but that the explosive device itself did not come in contact with the hull of the South Korean ship, the official said. This is the same conclusion expressed by South Korean military officials.
The U.S. Navy has an investigative team assisting the South Koreans.
The U.S. official declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter and due to the fact neither South Korea or the United States has publicly discussed any potential response...
The Korea Times is reporting a Chinese developed Type EO-3G torpedo may have been the weapon used. It is said to have the homing capability to hit a ship after tracking the vessel's screws acoustically. U.S. Navy warships are equipped with sophisticated sensors and acoustic technology aimed at tracking such threats.
Query: My thinking on this has been proceeding on the assumption that the forensics of the attack probably haven't been that difficult to sort out. This is to say, determining the cause of the explosion was probably easier than the South Koreans have been letting on, and they've been soft-pedaling this for political reasons. Do you think this is a reasonable assumption, or are mine and torpedo damage in fact so similar that it would require extensive analysis to determine cause?
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