bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Reuters

Not everybody asserts as confidently as the Pentagon that the US military can defend the United States from the growing threat posed by North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile capability.
Pyongyang’s first test on Tuesday of an ICBM with a potential to strike the state of Alaska has raised the question: how capable is the US military of knocking down an incoming missile or barrage of missiles?
Briefing reporters on Wednesday, Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said: “We do have confidence in our ability to defend against the limited threat, the nascent threat that is there.”
Davis cited a successful test in May in which a US-based missile interceptor knocked down a simulated incoming North Korean ICBM. But he acknowledged the tracking programme was not perfect.
US and Seoul launch show of force as Kim calls ICBM ‘July 4 gift’
“It’s something we have mixed results on. But we also have an ability to shoot more than one interceptor,” Davis said.
An internal memo also showed that the Pentagon upgraded its assessment of US defences after the May test.


Despite hundreds of billions of dollars spent on a multi-layered missile defence system, the United States may not be able to seal itself off entirely from a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile attack.
Experts caution that US missile defences are now geared to shooting down one, or perhaps a small number of basic, incoming missiles. Were North Korea’s technology and production to keep advancing, US defences could be overwhelmed unless they keep pace with the threat.
Key dates in North Korea’s missile development
“Over the next four years, the United States has to increase its current capacity of our deployed systems, aggressively push for more and faster deployment,” said Riki Ellison, founder of the Missile Defence Advocacy Alliance.
The test records of the US Missile Defence Agency (MDA), charged with the mission to develop, test and field a ballistic missile defence system, also show mixed results.
MDA systems have multiple layers and ranges and use sensors in space at sea and on land that altogether form a defence for different US regions and territories.
One component, the Ground-based Midcourse Defence system (GMD), showed a success rate just above 55 per cent. A second component, the Aegis system deployed aboard US Navy ships and on land, had about an 83 per cent success rate, according to the agency.
A third, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence, or THAAD, anti-missile system, has a 100 per cent success rate in 13 tests conducted since 2006, according to the MDA.
Lockheed Martin Corp is the prime contractor for THAAD and Aegis. Boeing Co is the lead contractor for GMD.
Since US president Ronald Reagan’s administration in the 1980s, the US government has spent more than US$200 billion to develop and field a range of ballistic missile defence systems ranging from satellite detection to the sea-based Aegis system, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Funding for MDA was on average US$8.12 billion during Barack Obama’s administration that ended on January 20. President Donald Trump has requested US$7.8 billion for financial year 2018.
Last month, Vice Admiral James Syring, then director of the Missile Defence Agency, told a congressional panel that North Korean advancements in the past six months had caused him great concern.
US-based missile expert John Schilling, a contributor to the Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North said the pace of North Korea’s missile development was quicker than expected.
“However, it will probably require another year or two of development before this missile can reliably and accurately hit high-value continental US targets, particularly if fired under wartime conditions,” he said.
Michael Elleman, a fellow for Missile Defence at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that although North Korea was several steps from creating a dependable ICBM, “There are absolutely no guarantees” the United States can protect itself.
In missile defence, “Even if it had a test record of 100 per cent, there are no guarantees.”


South Korea’s Ukraine support strategy shifts with Trump’s re-election

North Korea ratifies defence treaty with Russia

Hong Kong’s working class deserve world-class medical care

Faced with Trump 2.0, Asia-Pacific leaders must figure out what they truly want

North Korea

Could the US defend itself against Kim Jong-un’s missiles? Not everyone agrees

This picture taken on Tuesday shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un celebrating the successful launch of a Hwasong-14 missile at an undisclosed location. Photo: AFP

This picture taken on July 4, 2017 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on July 5, 2017 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (R) inspecting the successful test-fire of the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 at an undisclosed location. South Korea and the United States fired off missiles on July 5 simulating a precision strike against North Korea's leadership, in response to a landmark ICBM test described by Kim Jong-Un as a gift to "American bastards". / AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS / STR / South Korea OUT / REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PHOTO IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY AFP. /

This picture taken on July 4, 2017 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on July 5, 2017 shows the successful test-fire of the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 at an undisclosed location. South Korea and the United States fired off missiles on July 5 simulating a precision strike against North Korea's leadership, in response to a landmark ICBM test described by Kim Jong-Un as a gift to "American bastards". / AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS / STR / South Korea OUT / REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PHOTO IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY AFP. /