North Korea Spurs Missile Defense Interest
June 20, 2006 — -- Rising tensions over North Korea's plans to test a long-range missile have spurred renewed interest in developing a system to protect the United States from a ballistic missile attack.
On Monday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned the North that it would face consequences if it launched a missile, calling it a "very serious matter."
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan today joined the chorus of criticism, saying, "I hope that the leaders of North Korea will listen to and hear what the world is saying. We are all worried."
U.S. officials have said the missile, believed to be a Taepodong 2, has a firing range of 9,300 miles and could reach as far as the West Coast. Most analysts, however, say North Korea is still a long way from perfecting technology that would make the missile accurate and capable of carrying a nuclear payload.
For some, the threat reinforces the need for a viable missile defense system in the United States.
President Bush announced plans four years ago to build a system. At the time, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said even some protection would be better than nothing.
"We do not have a missile defense capability," Rumsfeld said. "The United States cannot defend itself, currently, against ballistic missiles coming from anywhere -- from the sea or from another continent -- wherever."
Today there are at least 11 ground-based interceptor missiles in Alaska and California and plans in the works for sea-based interceptors, but it is still an experimental program dependent on complex technology.
Missile defense is the biggest single item in the defense budget. So far, the government has spent $90 billion on "kinetic kill vehicles," which are designed to intercept and destroy a missile in midair.
In 11 tests, the interceptors succeeded only about half the time. A government report this spring said the program "falls short," and was over budget.
The high price tag and mixed results have fueled criticism of the program.
"With all the money spent and all the testing and all the tries, we have no idea if the system will work," said John Isaacs of the Council for a Livable World.
Others say the government should be spending much more on the program, however.
"It's a question of quality here," said Brian Kennedy of the Claremont Ballistic Missile Defense Project. "We believe that the president is very well intentioned when it comes to missile defense. It's just that we're just not putting the resources toward it quickly enough."
"Good Morning America Weekend Edition" anchor Kate Snow originally reported this story.
Related Stories
ABC News Live