US general 'disapproves' of North Korean missiles

North Korea does not appear to have the technology to strike the United States with high precision, the vice chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said on July 18, referring to the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) earlier this month.

Speaking before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Air Force General Paul Selva said that although North Korea has made recent advances in ICBMs, the July 4 test launch did not demonstrate it had the ability to guide a missile to the United States.

North Korea test-launched an ICBM on July 4. Photo: Rodong Sinmun

"I do not believe that the July 4 test demonstrates that they have the capability to strike the United States with any accuracy," Yonhap quoted Mr. Selva as saying.

Regarding the range of North Korean missiles, the general admitted that it is capable of reaching the US and that technological improvements must be closely monitored.

North Korea announced on July 4 that it had successfully test-fired its first ICBM, saying the Hwasong-14 reached an altitude of 2,802km and traveled 933km in 39 minutes.

"I have confidence in the intelligence community's ability to monitor the launches, not the deployment of these missile systems," Selva said. "North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his forces are very good at camouflage, evasion and deception."

The US Air Force general also assured lawmakers that the US has a series of programs that demonstrate the capabilities of the military and civilian intelligence community to monitor North Korean activities, but he did not elaborate due to the sensitivity of the issue.

According to Vietnamnet