With North Korea readying to launch it’s new Taepodong II missle, the nuclear table stakes just raised. On Tuesday, North Korea asserted that it has the right to test fire the missle with theoretical capability to reach the US, and I am going to agree with them.
However, it’s our right to protect ourselves, our allies, their neighbors, ships and aircraft in the area, or even endangered species it might pass near. In other words, we should shoot it down with any path near Japan, or any other allies. If it crosses boost phase with a path that takes it near Hawaii, or towards the United States, then the Missle Defense Agency should take it out. This would send a very powerful message to states with nuclear ambitions worldwide.
Here’s the stated mission of the US MDA:Â
The Missile Defense Agency’s mission is to develop, test and prepare for deployment of a missile defense system. Using complementary interceptors, land-, sea-, air- and space-based sensors, and battle management command and control systems, the planned missile defense system will be able to engage all classes and ranges of ballistic missile threats. Our programmatic strategy is to develop, rigorously test, and continuously evaluate production, deployment and operational alternatives for the ballistic missile defense system. Missile defense systems being developed and tested by MDA are primarily based on hit-to-kill technology. It has been described as hitting a bullet with a bullet – a capability that has been successfully demonstrated in test after test.”
 You can see that a North Korean Ballistic missle launch near an ally provides a wonderful test opportunity, and we should take advantage of it, since testing costs money. For more on why we need more robust defense against missles here are a few links:
North Korean Taepodong II specs. & more specs here.
Here’s the history of SDI, and where we are at today. With the nuclear Djinn out of the bottle, it really is only a matter of time before the nuclear club expands, it’s in your children’s best interest to support the MDA and further development of defenses against Ballistic Missiles from rogue nations.
Keep in mind that technology has progressed by leaps and bounds since the inception of SDI, and now even artillery shells are GPS tracked and guided. It’s a different world from when President Ronald Reagan started SDI, and what was feasible then is highly probable now. For more on our anti-ballistic missle defense agency, check here.