NORTH KOREAExperts: North Korea's ICBMs Pose Preemption Challenges for US
North Korea’s rapidly advancing ICBM capabilities pose a growing threat to the United States and its allies, especially as it will become increasingly difficult to destroy Pyongyang’s missiles prior to launch with preemptive strikes.
North Korea’s rapidly advancing ICBM capabilities pose a growing threat to the United States and its allies, according to experts who say it will become increasingly difficult to destroy Pyongyang’s missiles prior to launch with preemptive strikes.
In the latest development, North Korea suggested Tuesday it is preparing to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile on a normal trajectory similar to what would be used in a real attack, rather than on the less threatening lofted trajectory of previous tests.
North Korea successfully launched a Hwasong-17 ICBM in November, according to its state media KCNA. The ICBM, like other ballistic missiles, was fired into space on a lofted trajectory before falling into the waters between North Korea and Japan.
Facing criticism that the ICBM’s capabilities “cannot be proven by a lofted-angle launch alone,” Kim Yo Jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s influential sister, said the missile must be fired “at a normal angle” to demonstrate that it could target the U.S.
“I’ll give an easy answer to that,” she said. “We can try it soon and once you see it, you’ll know.”
The remark came after North Korea said it tested a “high-thrust solid-fuel motor” on December 15 that would lead to “the development of another new-type strategic weapon system.”
“This test is likely an incremental step towards the goal of fielding a solid-fuel ICBM,” said Ian Williams, deputy director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
“We’ve seen North Korea expanding its use of solid-fuel engines for its missile forces for some time, and it has just been a matter of time before we saw it apply this technology to longer-range missiles,” continued Williams.
Pre-emption
Because solid fuel can be uploaded to a missile long before launching, using solid fuel saves preparation time, making the missile less vulnerable to attacks while sitting on a launch pad.
“Solid-fuel missiles have shorter preparation time prior to launch compared to liquid-fuel missiles, making destroying them prior to launch (left of launch) more challenging,” said Williams.
The Hwasong-17 ICMB launched in November is believed capable of traveling up to 15,000 kilometers, more than far enough to cover the entire U.S. territory. If the solid-fuel engine is merged with a nuclear-tipped Hwasong-17 ICBM, it would become a formidable weapon.
“As North Korea shifts to solid-propellent ICBMs, its nuclear force will become harder to target and more survivable,” said Jeffrey Lewis, director of East Asia Nonproliferation Project at the Middlebury
