Dear Members and Friends,
On Saturday at 6:30 P.M., North Korea launched a solid-fuel Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) in the Sea of Japan, most likely from a submerged barge, in its pursuit of a solid-fuel ballistic missile and a nuclear submarine deterrent force. This SLBM, called the KN-11, only flew 30 kilometers but it demonstrated significant advances in North Korea’s solid-fuel capabilities for its ballistic missiles.
This test along with the static rocket engine firing this month are concerning because they demonstrate a desire to use solid-fuel motors for longer-range ballistic missiles. Solid-fueled ballistic missiles are much more stable and do not have to be fueled prior to launch, significantly reducing the launch preparation time while increasing the missile’s stability when on an underwater or road mobile platform. The continued development of solid-fuel rocket engines and underwater launch capabilities creates a bigger challenge for the detection of launch points and dampens touted “left of launch” strategies for locating these systems and destroying them before they launch.
Displaying determination to defy the United States and South Korea, North Korea has conducted an absurd amount of sixteen ballistic missile launches so far this year, violating United Nations Security Council Resolutions and making a mockery of our foreign policy to contain and restrict North Korea’s actions through sanctions and statesmanship courting of China to gain control over North Korea.
The United States, South Korea, and Japan have an inherent responsibility to fully defend and protect their populations and forces from a nuclear North Korea. Deploying more capable, layered, and numerous missile defense capabilities in the region will provide much greater protection and more stability, and encourage China to use its influence to control North Korea, given its strong objections to the deployment of U.S. missile defenses in this region.
There are multiple capabilities and missile defense options that the United States can deploy today to increase capacity, address the North Korean ballistic missile threat, and better protect our forward deployed forces and our population, especially in Hawaii (Link to Missile Defense Capabilities in the Pacific). It takes courage, fortitude and long term vision to lead and make the right decision for the right reasons.
Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of lives are in grave danger if a nuclear-armed North Korea cannot be contained. The United States needs to stop watching, waiting, and hoping, and instead courageously lead from the front, not from behind, in preventing North Korea’s nuclear escalation by deploying secure layered missile defenses in the Pacific, increasing sanctions that target North Korea’s leadership and hard currency, and consider drawing a red line on the launch of the KN-08 that we can back to contain the Kim regime.
North Korea is erupting.
