Why You Don’t Need To Worry About The North Korean Missile Threat

ICBM.

North Korea has become quite aggressive recently by making threats about launching nuclear attacks to Japan and Guam. Kim Jong Un started making claims that he would also attack the United States, but after some arguing, it looks like he has backed off. Not that North Korea was a big threat in the first place because we are very well-defended by a protection system.

In the 1983 President Reagan became concerned about a possible nuclear attack from Russia and implemented programs to defend the United States from a possible attack. The media poked fun at President Reagan’s “Star Wars” defense system which claimed it would use lasers to take down hostile missiles. But now a more practical version of the defense system comes is known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).

THAAD uses missiles of its own to intercept enemy missiles as they are launched. This system can reach higher altitudes in order to deter threats quickly before warheads are deployed to the area. Hitting the targets quickly is of the utmost importance because an object in motion stays in motion in order to reduce any radioactive debris hitting the area.

The United States Military has several THAADs positioned at their base in South Korea in case worse comes to worse. Not that North Korea’s ballistic missiles have had much success but it is better to play it safe to shut them down and shut them up. For a closer look at how the THAAD system works, check out this video clip from Lockheed-Martin.