Dear Members and Friends,
Early this morning, North Korea defiantly launched two Musudan intermediate range (3,500km) ballistic missiles (link) in their insatiable quest to demonstrate regional nuclear power projection. The test also marks progress for the KN-08, which is a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of approximately 8,000 km and is believed to use engines from the Musudan for its first stage. Today’s launches mark the 5th and 6th Musudan tests this year in the face of United Nation Security Resolutions forbidding North Korean ballistic missile and nuclear tests, and decades of U.S. sanctions backed by failed foreign policy initiatives and diplomatic efforts.
All of South Korea, Japan, Okinawa and Guam are within range of the Musudan.
Leadership from the United States, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea have failed to enforce UNSC Resolutions forbidding North Korean ballistic missile and nuclear tests, leaving the Republic of Korea, Japan and the United States vulnerable to nuclear coercion and intimidation from North Korea. Further, Kim Jung Un is taking clear advantage of a non-escalatory U.S. President in his last few months in office, and the Kim regime knows that consequences for their defiant actions are not relevant nor effective.
The United States President does have a legitimate non-confrontational option of consequence, and that is deploying THAAD into Okinawa and/or mainland Japan. Doing this will better defend the Japanese population and American forces deployed in the country, as well as have a tremendous strategic impact on China, forcing them to confront and curb North Korea or face proliferation of U.S. strategic defense systems in the Pacific. Clearly, actions this morning have incentivized South Korea to rapidly move forward with deployment of a U.S. THAAD system. The Japanese are also incentivized to move forward with a decision to have two fully capable Aegis Ashore sites–with integrated air and missile defense–to best protect their population consistently.
Today, the United States has one THAAD battery deployed in Guam and an additional four in Fort Bliss, Texas, with two more coming next year. Of these four batteries in Texas, one is constantly on stand-by and ready to be operational anywhere around the world within 30 days of request. THAAD has been tested, deployed and is the most capable land-based missile defense system in the world, with the capacity for high-altitude intercept in the upper atmosphere and in lower space; providing missile defense for vast areas and entire countries (link to MDAA’s THAAD webpage). This highly advanced missile defense system is a game changer in missile defense and enhances strategic balance for a region. To strengthen deterrence and protect deployed U.S. forces, allies and partners, THAAD batteries–at approximately $1 Billion U.S. Tax dollars each–needs to be deployed to regions of the world where our troops and allies face escalating ballistic missile threats.
It is like having paid for four billion dollars of the most talented first round draft picks in missile defense that are game changers, and deliberately sitting them on the bench to watch the game from 6,700 miles away, despite knowing that playing them would shift the momentum and win the game.
Put them in the Game! Change the Momentum! And let’s go from a failed policy to a winning one.
