The North Korean military displayed enough intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to defeat US air defenses on the West Coast, according to satellite images of a martial parade on Wednesday.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un hosted the parade over the past week, displaying as many as 12 individual Hwasong-17 ICBM launchers. The United States has just 44 missile interceptors on the US West Coast, some stationed in California and others in Alaska, according to Politico.
If the 12 ICBMs carry a payload of four warheads each, they would overwhelm the prepared US defenses, according to the report.
North Korea has had trouble demonstrating the range capability of its ICBMs, however the Hwasong-17s are believed to be capable of reaching the US from the country.
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North Korea holds a military parade in Pyongyang. (getty)
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un attends a military parade with his daughter. (getty)
Wednesday’s military parade in Pyongyang came after Kim disappeared from the public eye for more than a month. He only reappeared during a meeting with the Central Military Commission about him on Monday. His absence from a Politburo meeting on Sunday raised further speculation about his whereabouts.
The country’s state media reported that Kim and his leaders discussed “constantly expanding and intensifying the operation and combat exercises” and “more strictly honing the preparation for war,” according to The Associated Press.
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Tensions with North Korea have flared in recent months as the United States strengthens relations with regional allies such as South Korea and Japan. The United States has tried to discourage China and North Korea from getting involved in a conflict over South Korea or Taiwan.
China held an unprecedented series of military exercises around Taiwan last fall, which also led to livelier exercises by the US and its allies.
A pair of ICBM launchers pass through the crowd in Pyongyang. (getty)
Kim fired top North Korean military officer in early January. Pak Jong Chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, was the second most powerful military officer in the country, behind only Kim himself. He was replaced by Ri Yong Gil during a series of meetings with the Commission and the Kim Central Committee.
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The leadership shakeup comes as Kim becomes increasingly aggressive with ballistic missile tests, having launched dozens over the past year.
