U.S. Ready to Defend Against North Korea
In a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the U.S. has 30 ground-based missile interceptors in place to counteract missiles from North Korea. (Source)
Gates also said the Obama administration intends to cut spending for additional interceptors, from 44 to 30. He said the administration has chosen to redirect funds to other systems and that 30 interceptors are sufficient.
At the same hearing, Gates said he wanted to shift funds away from weapons and research for future conflicts and focus on weapons needed for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. “We have to be prepared for the wars we are most likely to fight. Not just the wars we have traditionally been best suited to fight or threats we conjure up from potential adversaries who in the real world also have finite resources.”
Last month, North Korea launched a long-range Taepodong-2 rocket over the Pacific Ocean. The rocket didn’t attain orbiting altitude before it crashed into the Pacific. North Korea claims the launch was for peaceful and scientific purposes. Before the launch, Gates said the U.S. was not prepared to do anything about it but would have considered action had the missile headed for Hawaii.
Before the launch, Gates was hesitant and unsure whether his country would defend against North Korea? This is national defense in the Obama age.
Tags: Barack Obama, North Korea, Robert Gates