US scraps final phase of European missile shield
The Pentagon announced Friday it will spend $1 billion to add 14 interceptors to a West Coast-based missile defense system, responding to what it called faster-than-anticipated North Korean progress on nuclear weapons and missiles. Defense officials confirm the move, saying it's in response to recent threats from North Korea to attack the U.S. with nuclear weapons.
A portion of the $1 billion cost of the expanded system will come from scrapping the final phase of a missile defense system the U.S. is building in Europe.
The system in Europe is aimed mainly at defending against a missile threat from Iran; key elements of that system are already in place.
The decision to drop the planned expansion in Europe happens to coincide with President Barack Obama’s 's announced intention to engage Russia in talks about further reducing each country's nuclear weapons arsenal.
US to add 14 interceptors on the West Coast in response to recent threats from North Korea
The Pentagon announced Friday it will spend $1 billion to add 14 interceptors to a West Coast-based missile defense system, responding to what it called faster-than-anticipated North Korean progress on nuclear weapons and missiles.
Defense officials confirm the move, saying it's in response to recent threats from North Korea to attack the U.S. with nuclear weapons. U.S. officials believe North Korea is incapable of carrying out an attack, but the threat adds to tension between the two countries.
The Pentagon intends to add the 14 interceptors to 26 already in place at Fort Greely, Alaska. That will expand the system's ability to shoot down long-range missiles in flight before they could reach U.S. territory. In addition to those at Greely, the U.S. also has four missile interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
The officials confirmed the decision on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.