North Korea aims to produce intercontinental ballistic missiles, a general said.
Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and commander of the U.S. Northern Command, made his comments before a breakfast forum of the National Defense University Foundation and the National Defense Industrial Association.
North Korea seeks an “intercontinental range capability,” Renuart said.
He spoke as North Korea is preparing to launch another Taepo Dong-2 long-range missile, perhaps toward Hawaii. (Please see separate story in this issue.)
Pyongyang wishes “to hold other nations at risk,” Renuart continued.
But the United States is marshalling its missile defense systems so they can annihilate the North Korean missile, if necessary. And Renuart predicted that the system will work.
“I can say with a high degree of confidence that it is effective … in that scenario,” though further development and testing is needed.
“I’m very confident in the system we have today,” he said. “It’s capable and effective. I’m very comfortable that that’s the case.”
He also said that the prospect of terrorists acquiring ballistic missiles is a danger.
“Is it a threat? Absolutely. Is it a concern? For sure,” he said, terming chances of terrorists acquiring missiles “a big problem.”
Nations that proliferate missiles to terrorists “need to be held in check,” he said. While he didn’t mention it, Iran supplies rockets and missiles to Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip and to Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon, and the terrorists launch those weapons into Israel, where they destroy buildings and maim and kill civilians.
As the missile proliferation risk grows, and extremist organizations “continue to look for chinks in the armor” of peaceful nations, “no nation is truly safe,” he said.