US response to ICBM from North Korea would be ‘overwhelming’

• North Korea’s new Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile is capable of reaching the U.S., raising concerns among both Americans and their Pacific allies. However, U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost assures that any attack would be met with an “overwhelming” response.
• The U.S. nuclear triad, consisting of bombers, land-based ICBMs and submarine-launched missiles, serves as the most powerful strategic deterrent in the world and extends protection to allies like South Korea, Japan and Australia.
• While North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities are concerning, the U.S. has a vast arsenal of both nuclear and conventional weapons, making it possible to counter threats without necessarily resorting to nuclear retaliation.

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North Korea can probably hit the continental United States with its new Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). However, the commander overseeing the United States’ Joint-Global Strike Operations Center said if North Korea ever tried it, the U.S. response would be “overwhelming.”

North Korea recently completed another test launch of its Hwasong-19. The missile flew higher and longer than any other missile previously launched by the Kim regime. That is significant, considering the regime frequently tests rockets and missiles.

North Korea also owns around 50 nuclear warheads and has enough fissile material to make another 90.

Why is this concerning for both the US and its allies?

A nuclear-armed North Korea with the ability to hit the U.S. is certainly concerning for Americans, but it is also a major concern for America’s allies in the Pacific.

At a nuclear deterrence and readiness symposium hosted by The Korea Society, United States Air Force Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost was asked if North Korea’s new capabilities would force the U.S. to prioritize homeland defense over defending its allies with its nuclear triad.

“North Korea — it is problematic for them to have an ICBM. But for them to attack that system is inherently — with current and imaginable capabilities — it is extremely difficult to attack that ‘system of systems,'” Armagost said. “So, what that system allows us to do is to say that the use of an ICBM would not result in the benefit that you are seeking. Because we can respond in a way that is overwhelming, in a time and place of our choosing.”

What makes up the US nuclear triad?

The system of systems that make up the U.S. nuclear triad is the most powerful strategic deterrence on the planet. The U.S. extends that protection and deterrence to its allies in the Pacific, including South Korea, Japan and Australia.

The United States currently has 1,770 nuclear warheads deployed, with a couple hundred more in storage. Armagost said by deploying those weapons within the nuclear triad, the U.S. is creating a “broad spectrum of strategic deterrence capabilities.”

The nuclear triad includes bombers — both stealth and conventional — that can be forward deployed. The U.S. operates 400 silos filled with nuclear-armed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles in Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota and Montana. The Air Force tests these missiles regularly to ensure they are always ready.

Additionally, the Department of Defense is well underway with its modernization program to replace the Minuteman III with the new Sentinel ICBM.

Another key component is the Navy’s silent service — nuclear-powered and armed submarines capable of launching ballistic missiles. Armagost refers to this as “an assured second-strike capability.” These submarine-launched ballistic missiles can be fired from almost anywhere in the world where a submarine can operate.

Can conventional weapons deter enemies?

Yes. Ideally, nuclear weapons will never need to be used, and conventional weapons can also serve as a deterrent.

As Straight Arrow News previously reported, the U.S. has enough conventional weapons to potentially take out all of China and Russia’s nuclear facilities in a matter of hours. Given that, the much smaller North Korean program, while concerning, does not present a dilemma that cannot be addressed using conventional means.