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David Wright, Co-Director of Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists
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US National Security Advisor McMaster says chances of war with NK are “increasing everyday”
North Korea’s successful test-launch of the Hwasong-15 proved its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capabilities and put it at the “pro level” in missile technology terms, a US missile expert claims. Other assessments of North Korea’s ICBM capabilities in the US are more mixed, with CNN and other news sources quoting US government officials as saying the Hwasong-15 showed technology issues with atmospheric reentry. In a Dec. 2 interview with Voice of America, US missile expert David Wright of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) said the Hwasong-15 “was a larger missile, so the reentry vehicle is larger and the shape is different.” “North Korea has definitely reached the ‘pro level’ in terms of missile development,” he said. Wright also said he was “surprised to see two nozzles at the end of the missile” when viewing the launch footage. “This seemed to suggest that while the main body was the same as the Hwasong-14 missile, they were using a different engine. Both the first- and second-stage engines were new,” he said. “The second-stage engine is used to increase the range, so this seems to be the reason for the longer distance in the latest launch,” he added. “The first-stage engine is still being analyzed for changes, but what is clear is that North Korea has a greater understanding of how to innovate with and change its missiles.” CNN and Fox News quoted Trump administration officials as reporting problems with North Korea’s reentry technology, claiming the Hwasong-15 was damaged after being unable to withstand high temperatures during atmospheric reentry. “While there may be questions about whether North Korea has established atmospheric reentry technology, that’s something within North Korea’s capacities to solve,” Wright said. “I don’t see it as a fundamental issue.” Meanwhile, in an interview with Fox News while attending the fifth Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, US National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster said it would “take some time to assess [whether reentry was successful for] each of these missile launches,” but added, “What is clear is that every time [North Korean leader Kim Jong-un] conducts a missile launch and nuclear test, he gets better,” “The greatest immediate threat to the United States and to the world is the threat caused by the rogue regime in North Korea and continued efforts to develop a long-range nuclear capability,” he added. “I think [the potential for war with North Korea is] increasing every day,” McMaster continued. “There are ways to address this problem short of our conflict, but it is a race because he’s getting closer and closer and there’s not much time left." By Yi Yong-in, Washington correspondent and Jung In-hwan, staff reporter Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr] Caption: David Wright, Co-Director of Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists
