OW OW MOMMY STOP IT Sorry. So in other words if it hits in say England, they can get money damages from the United States, money for which I as a taxpayer would be partially responsible for? Awesome. I love it. No, it isn't. It's inevitable, and as proof I offer history. The only question is what form it will take. In this case, a falling satellite that may (or may not) cause major damage to someone.
Yup. And if, say, an American submarine sank a Japanese fishing boat while surfacing, you the taxpayer would have to foot the bill for that as well. Sucks to be you the taxpayer.
I would also question why the heck an American submarine got so close to Japan as to be able to sink a Japanese fishing boat.
The Laws of the Sea (also a recent lecture topic ) apply even in international water - they essentially delineate where territorial, Exclusive Economic Zones, and international waters exist. And one thing they cover is liability for such incidents, wherever they occur (territorial, EEZ, or international water), so whether our subs were in Japanese water or in the Japanese EEZ - or even international waters - we're liable. If you want to have fun, look at who is liable to pursue crimes committed in Antarctica, where no one officially controls any territory.
Oh, I don't know, maybe because we haven't been at war with them for over 60 years and they are now, in fact, our trusted ally? Anyway, the sinking that BRF is referring to took near Hawaii, not Japan: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/military/jan-june01/collision_02-12.html Now if Godzilla sank the Japanese boat, it would suck to be a Japanese fishging boat owner and his crew, not an American taxpayer.
So we send our millitary to countries we're not at war with? That seems odd. Shouldn't that submarine be defending our country?
In this case, our treaty with Japan following WWII holds that while Japan may have a small maritime defense force, most activities undertaken by a country's navy in its own sovereign sphere are not in Japan. Per treaty agreement, the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Japan (COMNAVFORJAPAN) has the following mission: "Mission Acts as Navy representative and coordinator in our area of responsibility, executes shore installation management, and promotes operability and conducts liaison with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. Area of Responsibility The Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Japan area of responsibility extends from the southern tip of the Kamchatka peninsula to the northern tip of Taiwan. It includes the Sea of Japan, a portion of the Philippine Sea, part of the northern Pacific, and the British Territory of Diego Garcia but not the Korean Peninsula." You can read more at the COMNAVFORJAPAN web site, with the history page here - it briefly describes how the mission came to pass.
How, exactly, would you have a nuclear submarine "defend our country"? What part of "submarine in Pacific Ocean" seems odd to you?
i predict the satellite will crash some where near the north pole on international waters then you'll have 5-6 countries racing to get the satellite.....most likely a race between US and Russia
Don't worry - those countries are all parties to The Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts, and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space, so it'll come to the US promptly anyways.
In the '80 some friends of mine were manning a semi-polar research station in the Yukon or some such. One day they were beset by black helicopters, out of which swarmed dozens of special forces in full hazmat gear. The troops held my mates at gunpoint for a day and a half. They wouldnt communicate anything except sit or die. For months these guys had no idea if there had been catastrophe or what? As it turns out a Russian satellite, with a reactor aboard, had crashed nearby and there was a. 'Ice Station Zebra' race to find it. Im told the Canadians won. edit: Ok, it was the 70s. Tempus Fugit. This has happened before. http://www.hackcanada.com/canadian/other/cosmos954.html