North Korea is rapidly expanding its nuclear capabilities and is already approaching the point where it can penetrate the US missile defense system.
Points of attention
- North Korea is rapidly expanding its nuclear capabilities and is approaching the point of being able to penetrate the US missile defense system.
- DPRK already possesses about 50 nuclear warheads and can produce material for approximately 20 more each year, raising concerns about the pace of its nuclear potential.
- The Hwasong series missiles pose a significant threat to the US interception system by overloading it, indicating North Korea's advancements in missile technology.
North Korea is building up its nuclear capabilities
According to estimates, the DPRK already has about 50 nuclear warheads and is capable of producing material for about 20 more each year. This significantly increases the pace of building its nuclear potential.
The US Ground-Based Mid-Trajectory Missile (GMD) system, deployed in Alaska and California, consists of 44 interceptor missiles with the option of expanding by another 20. However, 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 existing US stockpile of interceptors.
The greatest threat is posed by the Hwasong series missiles, which, together with existing warheads, can overload the US interception system.
In recent years, Pyongyang has been actively modernizing its arsenal, in particular, 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 false targets in an attempt to increase the effectiveness of breaking through US and South Korean defenses.
Bloomberg emphasizes that while Donald Trump is waging war in the Middle East to prevent the clerical regime of Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, data suggests that US efforts to contain Kim Jong-un's program have failed.
North Korea's transformation from a "rogue state" to a full member of the "nuclear club" means that it can not only threaten nuclear war, but may already be capable of waging one.
Experts note that Kim Jong-un's regime is becoming more confident in its capabilities and sees nuclear weapons as the main guarantee of survival.
After the US strikes on Iran and the detention of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the importance of nuclear deterrence for Pyongyang has only increased.
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