North Korea to display new missiles

North Korea is expected to display as early as today one or two new long-range missiles, including a system capable of hitting the Western United States, U.S. officials said yesterday.

One new missile is believed to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a range of up to several thousand miles.

A second missile, which could be shown during a military parade today in Pyongyang, is a new version of the Taepo Dong 2 intercontinental ballistic missile, said administration officials with access to intelligence reports.

Intelligence agencies are closely watching the military parade to be held in the North Korean capital’s main square that marks the 55th anniversary of the founding of the communist state, one of the last totalitarian regimes from the Cold War.

“Our best thinking at this point is they’re going to show us a new missile,” one official said. “They might do something else.”

The official did not elaborate, but some intelligence officials said they believe North Korea could conduct its first underground nuclear test, following through with threats made by North Korean officials at recent talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

The official said the new longer-range missile is being described within the U.S. government as the “Taepo Dong X.” Intelligence analysts estimate it to have a range longer than the Taepo Dong 2 and to have greater accuracy than earlier versions of the Taepo Dong 2, the official said.

The Taepo Dong 2 is believed to have a range of up to 2,300 miles with a payload of up to several hundred pounds.

A second official said the new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) is a road-mobile system with a range of up to 3,400 miles. The official did not disclose the name of the new IRBM.

The missile will be capable of hitting Japan and the U.S. island of Guam, where the Pentagon has deployed attack submarines and stockpiles of air-launched cruise missiles for U.S. bombers.

The IRBM development was first disclosed by South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper and confirmed by U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Neither new missile has been tested, so range estimates vary, the officials said.

U.S. intelligence agencies classify intermediate-range missiles as those that can travel between 1,800 miles and 3,400 miles. Intercontinental-range missiles can exceed 3,400 miles.

The first official said the new “Taepo Dong X” is estimated by intelligence analysts to have enough range to land a warhead on Hawaii, Alaska, California and “most of the West Coast.”

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