The ICBM North Korea tested earlier today is capable of striking anywhere in the world, according to U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis.
The SECDEF told reporters that the North Korean missile test went “higher, frankly, than any previous shot they have taken.”
He added that North Korea has the ability to hit “everywhere in the world basically.”
The Pentagon said the missile traveled about 600 miles in around 50 minutes, the longest flight time yet for a North Korean ICBM, and that it splashed down in the Sea of Japan.
In response, South Korea fired its own missile, which analysts said was a message to Pyongyang that its launchers — and leadership — remain well within Seoul’s ability to strike.
Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, said this was a major ICBM test “possibly in operational settings” and should “disabuse US officials from thinking military displays, sanctions, or threats are deterring North Korean tests. [source]
Information in this article helps satisfy Priority Intelligence Requirement 2: What is the current situation report and risk of war in each of the four flashpoints?
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