US Preps for NK Missile Launch via Simulation

The U.S. Defense Department said yesterday that the U.S. military has intercepted North Korea’s long-range missiles three times in simulation tests of its missile defense system, and is fully prepared for the North’s missile test.

Gen. Patrick O`Reilly, director of the department`s Missile Defense Agency, testified at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee`s Strategic Forces Subcommittee.

He said the U.S. missile defense system is fully tested to intercept North Korean missiles flying toward U.S. territory.

“Based on the scenarios that we’ve tested three times, although it’s limited and it’s in the beginning, those scenarios overlay a launch from North Korea and a response out of Alaska. And that is the source of my confidence,” he said.

“Our firing doctrine is that we have a significant number of missiles, so we can put a significant number of missiles in the air at once. And that each time significantly increases the overall probability that you are going to be successful.”

sechepa@donga.com