U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced plans on Friday to bolster U.S. missile defenses in response to "irresponsible and reckless provocations" by North Korea, which threatened a preventative nuclear strike against the United States last week.


Hagel said the Pentagon would add 14 new anti-missile interceptors at Fort Greely in Alaska - an effective reversal of an early Obama administration decision - and move ahead with the deployment of a missile-defense radar in Japan.

The Pentagon also left open the possibility of a site on the East Coast where they could field more interceptors capable of striking down an incoming missile. The 14 new interceptor deployments would cost $1 billion.

"By taking the steps I outlined today we will strengthen our homeland defense, maintain our commitments to our allies and partners, and make clear to the world that the U.S. stands firm against aggression"

North Korea issued its threat last week to stage a preemptive nuclear attack against the United States as the United Nations readied new sanctions against Pyongyang in response to its February 12 nuclear test.

Experts say North Korea is years away from being able to hit the continental United States with a nuclear weapon, despite having worked for decades to achieve a nuclear capability. But Hagel said the moves announced by the Pentagon were justified to stay ahead of the threat, underscored by the nuclear test and a December rocket launch that analysts believe was aimed at developing technology for an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).



U.S. SAYS SYSTEMS NOT AIMED AT CHINA OR RUSSIA

U.S. officials say its missile defense systems are not designed to counter the large number of ICBMs in arsenals in China or Russia and are focused instead on the threat from North Korea or, potentially, Iran.

"We not only intend to put the mechanics in place to deny any potential North Korean objective to launch a missile to the United States, but also to impose costs on them if they do," he told reporters.
"And we believe that this young lad ought to be deterred by that. And if he's not, we'll be ready."

Originally posted by Rockstarr

To be honest, this has all become a giant pissing game. Who has the bigger missiles and more power to scare the other out of pushing their "big red button" first. Every few months we're hearing something from either the Middle East or North Korea about nuclear weapons and that they're testing them and/or aren't afraid to use them. If someone ever does start a nuclear war we're all going to die, if not from the explosions, then from the radiation poisoning.