U.S. Vice Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Paul Selva: North Korea Has Not Perfected Its ICBM Technology

A North Korean missile Taepodong class is displayed during a military parade to mark 100 years since the birth of the country's founder Kim Il-Sung in Pyongyang (AFP Photo) / AFP

Washington Times: North Korea closing in on critical long-range ballistic missile requirements, says top U.S. general

The North Korean regime is closing the gap in developing critical technologies needed to create and field a long-range ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S., forcing the Pentagon to assume those capabilities are already within Pyongyang’s reach, the nation’s No. 2 military officer said Tuesday.

North Korean weapons developers “have made some strides” toward resolving major engineering hurdles impeding the country’s regime from fielding a full-fledged intercontinental ballistic missile, said Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Paul Selva.

With a range of nearly 500 miles, the North Korean Hwasong-7 short-range ballistic missile in use by Korean forces can capably strike targets as far as southwest Japan, while the No Dong-class medium-range ballistic missile puts all of Japan and surrounding island chains well within reach of the weapon’s 930-mile range.

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Update #1: U.S. general says North Korea not demonstrated all components of ICBM -- Reuters
Update #2: N.Korea not yet shown ICBM ready to hit America: US general -- 7 News/AFP

WNU Editor: The CIA Director believes the North Koreans will be perfecting these technologies in the next few months .... North Korea will be able to hit the US with nuclear weapons in a 'handful of months', CIA director warns (Daily Mail).