July 18, 2017
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and Gen. Paul Selva, agreed North Korea’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests demonstrated they have the range capability of attacking the United States, during this morning’s SASC hearing on Selva’s reappointment to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Inhofe is chairing SASC hearings this week, in Chairman McCain’s (R-Ariz.) absence.
Inhofe asked Gen. Selva about assessments concerning North Korea’s range capabilities following their ballistic missile testing on July 4.
Gen. Selva confirmed the assessment, saying, “On range they clearly have the capability [to reach the United States]…I do agree, in principle, with the assessment that the North Koreans are moving quickly to developing an intercontinental ballistic missile capability.”
But Gen. Selva was quick to add that, “I am, however, not saying that when the test on the Fourth of July demonstrates that they have the capacity to strike the United States with any degree of accuracy or reasonable confidence of success.”
Inhofe responded, “if [North Korea] has the capability in range, the other improvements are perhaps not too far behind.”
Gen. Selva agreed, and stated that the military will “have to watch very carefully—with the [intelligence community]—the developments on those particular capabilities.”
To defend against this threat, Inhofe supported increasing funding for the Missile Defense Agency in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by $631 million. This funding will provide for modernization of the ground-based missile defense, including the purchase of 24 additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems.
