North Korea's nuclear weapons could bypass US missile defense — Bloomberg
Photo: US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Getty Images)
North Korea is rapidly expanding its nuclear capabilities and is already nearing the point where it will be able to penetrate the US missile defense system, according to Bloomberg.
According to estimates, North Korea already has about 50 nuclear warheads and is capable of producing material for approximately 20 more each year. This significantly accelerates the pace of its nuclear buildup.
The US Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, located in Alaska and California, consists of 44 interceptor missiles with the capacity to expand by another 20. At the same time, it usually takes at least two interceptors to destroy a single target.
Under such conditions, a simultaneous massive launch of about two dozen intercontinental ballistic missiles could exhaust the available stockpile of interceptors of the United States.
The greatest threat comes from the Hwasong series of missiles, which, combined with existing warheads, could overwhelm the US interceptor system.
In recent years, Pyongyang has been actively modernizing its arsenal, in particular by developing solid-fuel missiles that are harder to detect and faster to launch.
In addition, this year, North Korea tested missiles with cluster munitions and decoys in an attempt to improve its ability to penetrate US and South Korean defenses.
Bloomberg notes that while Donald Trump is waging war in the Middle East to prevent Iran’s clerical regime from acquiring nuclear weapons, the data suggest that US efforts to curb Kim Jong Un’s program have failed.
"North Korea’s ascent from a 'rogue state' to a full-fledged member of the atomic arsenal club means it can do more than just threaten nuclear war; it may now be able to fight one," the article states.
Experts note that Kim Jong Un's regime is becoming more confident in its capabilities and views nuclear weapons as the primary guarantee of its survival.
Following US strikes on Iran and the detention of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the importance of nuclear deterrence for Pyongyang has only grown.
Earlier, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un, stated that the United States must recognize the new reality.
According to her, North Korea’s nuclear program will not be subject to future negotiations.
Later, Kim Jong Un himself announced a new strategy aimed at the simultaneous development of nuclear forces and conventional armed forces.
