Missiles from North Korea ‘could strike Britain within two years’
NORTH KOREA could develop weapons within the next two years that may be capable of reaching and striking Britain, MPs have heard.
Kim Jong Un’s regime in recent months has conducted several increasingly sophisticated nuclear tests as it expanded its missile programme – prompting a rise in international tensions.
Defence Minister Earl Howe told the cross-party Defence Committee that the capability of North Korea has been “significantly developed” over the past few years.
“We judge that they are capable of, certainly now, of reaching targets in the short range – by which I mean Japan, South Korea obviously and adjoining territories,” he said on Tuesday.
“Our judgment is it is probably six to 18 months before they will have an intercontinental ballistic missile capability capable of reaching the coast of the United States or indeed ourselves.”
But he warned that it is important to highlight how it is not deemed to be the case that Mr Kim’s “programme is directed at the UK”, adding how the threat to Britain “is not significant”.
Asked whether North Korea’s nuclear capability of striking the UK in two years places an additional premium on maintaining Britain’s nuclear deterrent, Earl Howe agreed it does.
“I think whenever we debate the issue of the UK deterrent, the North Korean weapons programme is cited as a prime example of why we can never be complacent,” he added.
Foreign Office Minister Mark Field told MPs North Korea’s “illegal pursuit of nuclear weapons does inevitably pose a serious and growing threat to the international peace and security”.
He told the committee there is “little doubt” that the timeline of six to 18 months has “drastically reduced” over the last year, but stressed that conflict is not inevitable.
Mr Field said the UN and international community are continuing to put a “huge amount of pressure” onto North Korea “through all the means that we can”.