North Korea Modernizes Weapons Program And Is On An Accelerated Path To Build Nuclear ICBMs • Now The End Begins

North Korea Modernizes Weapons Program And Is On An Accelerated Path To Build Nuclear ICBMs

North Korea has said through state media that it has no choice but to
advance its nuclear and missile development to defend itself from
attack. It has said its weapons program is impervious to sanctions and
is already capable of hitting the U.S. with a nuclear-tipped missile.

by Geoffrey Grider May 15, 2017

North
Korea’s launch on Sunday of its most-sophisticated missile yet offered
new clues into how serious the country is in its nuclear ambitions

In the past three years,
North Korea has launched more major missiles than in the three previous
decades combined. That acceleration is one of the most dramatic signs
of leader Kim Jong Un’s push to overhaul the country’s weapons program
since he took power in late 2011. He has modernized production of
nuclear and missile parts, upgraded the program within the military
hierarchy and overtly pampered engineers, forcing Western leaders to
worry more about Pyongyang’s intentions than ever before.

On Sunday, North Korea launched a newly developed intermediate-range missile,
its 10th missile firing this year. Mr. Kim attended the test of the
nuclear-capable missile and described it as a “perfect weapon system,”
according to a state media report. Initial projections from several
experts suggested it would be able to reach U.S. military forces in
Guam.

Even apparent failed missile launches, like one that blew up
within minutes on April 28, are now seen by independent experts as
signs of North Korea’s progress. Learning from those failures would move
the regime closer to its ultimate goal of mastering a long-range
missile that could threaten the U.S. with nuclear attack.

North Korea warns that nuclear-armed missile can strike U.S. territory:

For decades, Mr. Kim’s father and grandfather used the country’s missile program
to gain leverage in diplomatic talks and revenue from weapon exports.
Technological advances came slowly. That changed when Kim Jong Il died
and was succeeded by his youngest son, believed to be 33 years old.

The
dictator has shown no interest in negotiating with the U.S. about the
missile program, and North Korea’s nuclear ambition and skill are
advancing much more quickly.

The country is conducting missile
tests with the frequency needed to ensure the weapons can be reliably
used in conflict. A range of recent breakthroughs has forced the U.S.
and its allies to review their missile defenses.

Could North Korea trigger a nuclear war?

“Kim
Jong Un very much wants to reach out and touch the homeland,” Gen. Lori
Robinson, head of the U.S. Northern Command, the part of the military
responsible for defending the U.S. mainland, told the Senate Armed
Services Committee in April.

Tackling the threat could become an
early point of tension between U.S. President Donald Trump, who is
trying to pressure Pyongyang into changing course, and new South Korean
President Moon Jae-in, who favors diplomacy and economic engagement with
North Korea. North Korea has said through state media that it has no
choice but to advance its nuclear and missile development to defend
itself from attack. It has said its weapons program is impervious to
sanctions and is already capable of hitting the U.S. with a
nuclear-tipped missile. source













North Korea Modernizes Weapons Program And Is On An Accelerated Path To Build Nuclear ICBMs • Now The End Begins