'N. Korean ICBMs could impact US missile defense system,' says report

The U.S. Congressional Commission on Strategic Posture (CCSP) has released a report indicating that North Korea is accelerating the deployment of a significant quantity of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to a degree that may challenge the effectiveness of America's missile defense system. The Commission has additionally emphasized the need for the U.S. to prepare for the possibility of nuclear conflicts involving both China and Russia.

On Thursday, the CCSP issued a report evaluating U.S. preparedness for strategic threats from North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, and others and offered recommendations for responsive measures. This bipartisan Commission was established in 2022 under the National Defense Authorization Act.

In the report, the CCSP stated that North Korea continues to expand and diversify its nuclear forces, increasing the threat to U.S. Allies. The assessment also highlights North Korea's focus on maintaining traditional military strength to significantly impact South Korea, while simultaneously developing longer-range ICBM technology. The Commission further emphasized North Korea's goal of ensuring long-term security for the Kim regime and maintaining dominant military influence over the Korean Peninsula through these strategies.

"North Korea is aggressively expanding its missile program, conducting multiple ballistic missile test launches in 2022", and recommended the swift development and deployment of NGIs by the U.S. Defense Department,” the CCSP said. “The Director of MDA, in conjunction with CDRUSNORTHCOM and CDRUSSTRATCOM, determine the required effectiveness criteria and number of additional GBIs/NGIs that will be needed overall to stay ahead of the North Korean threat."

The Commission forecasted increasing threats from China and Russia during the 2027-2035 timeline. It concluded that "China is expected to achieve near numerical equality with the U.S. in deployed nuclear warheads by the mid-2030s." Additionally, the CCSP noted that Russia currently maintains the world's largest nuclear arsenal.

The Commission said that the U.S.-led international order is under threat from the Chinese and Russian authoritarian regimes," emphasizing the need for the U.S. and its allies to prepare for potential simultaneous conflicts with Russia and China. Reuters noted that this stance contrasts with President Joe Biden's position that the existing U.S. nuclear arsenal is adequate to deter combined Russian and Chinese forces.


71wook@donga.com