Is a North Korea missile crisis taking shape in the Pacific? Can North Korean nuclear weapons reach the U.S?
Threats of a North Korea missile attack by North Korean leader Kim-Jong Un have resulted in renewed U.S combat exercises, but the North Korean military has responded with another escalation.
A North Korea Missile Crisis?
The North Korean military has reportedly begun positioning missiles near the country's east coast, prompting the Missile Defense Agency to deploy a defense system in Guam.
North Korean leader Kim-Jong Un in March threatened a North Korea missile launch that would assert Pyongyang's "right to a pre-emptive nuclear attack." Although the missiles currently being positioned near the coast are not capable of reaching the U.S., the North Korean military claims its arsenal includes "cutting-edge smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear strike means."
With the looming possibility of a North Korea missile crisis and a North Korean leader equal parts unpredictable and belligerent, the threat of a North Korea missile attack begs the question of missile defense. How does missile defense work?
According to The Verge, the guided-missile destroyer USS McCain was deployed to the coast of South Korea on Monday after the North Korean military positioned missiles on its coast. Then on Wednesday, the Department of Defense announced that a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) would be joining the McCain in the coming weeks.
The THAAD missile defense system shoots "Kinetic Kill" interceptors at incoming missiles that simply collide with enemy projectiles rather than destroying them with a detonation. The DoD says this approach could minimize the impact of weapons of mass destruction in a North Korean missile attack.
It's unclear whether the North Korean leader is simply attempting to demonstrate resolve and posture for the North Korean military, or if the North Korea missile crisis is indeed real, but the Obama administration is taking no chances.
"We haven't made any decisions," a senior administration official told the New York Times. "But we want as many options as possible."
