Reuters reports that Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, has amped up the rhetoric while convening a summit in Vancouver, Canada, that basically tells the North Korean regime, “give up your nuclear weapons and ambitions or face the wrath of the western democracies.” According to analysts, the US is weighing an option to initiate a “Bloody Nose” first strike, which would, in effect, attempt to decapitate the North Korean leadership and lay to waste the country’s nuclear arsenal before the North Koreans could take action. The US seems to be taking a bolder stance since Trump took office, suggesting that its own nuclear deterrence capabilities were tested and now deemed up to the task of eliminating, paralyzing or defeating inbound nuclear missile threats aimed at the US mainland and/or its far flung territories in the Pacific Ocean. While high-level discussions are still underway in a last minute effort to defuse the situation, the President, in league with advice offered by the National Security Council, are examining ways that will best bring about an end to the sabre-rattling, while simultaneously working with other nations to tighten the sanctions imposed on North Korea.
January 17, 2018
Modelcollect Enters the Nuclear Age
Perhaps taking a page from today’s headlines, Modelcollect has decided to add several of its multi-vehicle missile launcher kits to its pre-assembled range. Two sets will make the initial cut – a NATO-operated MAN M1014 tractor hauling a BGM-109G missile launcher and a US M983 HEMTT tractor carrying a Pershing II intercontinental missile and its accompanying stand and launcher. No word on pricing or dates of availability just yet but if they succeed at retail, collectors will likely be able to nab other over-sized modern vehicles in the coming months. While other companies are still making the standard fare 1:72 scale vehicles, you can’t help but congratulate Modelcollect for at least thinking outside of the box and offering something a wee bit different.
Corgi Fires Up the Furnaces for the First Half of 2018
Corgi has announced their Aviation Archive plans for the first half of 2018. No new toolings were shown, and many of the latest offerings left us a little underwhelmed considering some of the subject matter broached by other manufacturers in recent years. Still, the Company plans a new range called “100 Years of the RAF”, which, rather coincidentally, examines some of the more iconic aircraft that have waged war in the service of the Royal Air Force over the past century. Expect all of the new listings to be added to our own Aviation Archive over the next day or so.