To counter North Korea, admiral says the U.S. should consider adding ballistic missile interceptors in Hawaii
Kind of amazing it is not in HI. It would increase protection for CA and the lower US west coast. Not sure if the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals would disallow this is current Administration suggested this.
To counter North Korea, admiral says the U.S. should consider adding ballistic missile interceptors in Hawaii
By Dan Lamothe April 26
U.S. commander on Kim Jong Un: 'Bring him to his senses, not to his knees' Play Video0:50
The top U.S. commander in the Asia-Pacific told Congress on April 26 that the goal with North Korea's Kim Jong Un is to "bring him to his senses, not to his knees," and that a missile defense system would be operational within days. (Reuters)
The top U.S. military officer in the Pacific said Wednesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is “clearly in a position to threaten Hawaii today” with a ballistic missile attack and that the Pentagon should consider adding new ballistic missile interceptors and defensive radar there to counter that possibility.
Navy Adm. Harry Harris, the chief of U.S. Pacific Command, told the House Armed Services Committee there are already “sufficient” ballistic missile interceptors protecting the United States at Fort Greely in Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. But he added there is a possibility that not every missile would be stopped in an attack. Hawaii, about 2,500 miles to California’s southwest, could benefit from having new equipment to protect itself, he said.
[As North Korea’s arsenal grows, experts see heightened risk of ‘miscalculation’]
“I believe that our ballistic missile architecture is sufficient to protect Hawaii today, but it can be overwhelmed,” Harris said. If the United States faced a wave of incoming ballistic missiles, “someone would have to make a decision on which one to take out or not. So that’s a difficult decision.”
Asked specifically about the defense of the continental United States, Harris added: “I do believe that the numbers could be improved. In other words, we need more interceptors.”
The comments are a new sign of U.S. concerns about the threat Pyongyang poses, and came ahead of an unusual White House briefing Wednesday afternoon about North Korea scheduled by the Trump administration for U.S. senators. The session included presentations by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other senior administration officials.