http://dailycaller.com/2017/07/25/north-korea-expected-to-have-reliable-nuclear-capable-icbm-as-early-as-next-year/North Korea is reportedly able to field a reliable, nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile much earlier than initially expected, according to U.S. officials.
A confidential assessment from the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency predicts North Korea will have a reliable, nuclear-armed ICBM that can strike the U.S. as early as next year, two years earlier than expected, according to The Washington Post.
After North Korea tested its new Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile in mid-May, South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo commented that North Korea’s missile program is progressing faster than expected. Earlier this month, North Korea tested the Hwasong-14 ICBM, shocking the world with capabilities that many suspected were still beyond the North Korean military. Experts believe the HS-14 has a range of 4,500 to 6,000 miles, putting Alaska, Hawaii, and parts of the West Coast in jeopardy.
Another ICBM test may come in the next week or so, as U.S. military intelligence has detected possible preparations for a test in Kusong, according to the Diplomat.
