WASHINGTON Ñ The United States has determined that North Korea is
ready to test-launch its new Tapo Dong-2 long-range missile, a weapon that
intelligence officials acknowledge has been underestimated.
U.S. officials and congressional members said Pyongyang has been
accelerating ground tests of the missile. They said the tests have included
key subsystems in what appears to be preparations for a launch as early as
next year.
North Korea has not test-launched a long-range missile since the 1998
flight of the Taepo Dong-1. Pyongyang has extended a moratorium on
missile launches until 2003. But the officials said North Korea continues to
develop the
multi-stage Taepo Dong-2, with a range of up to 10,000 kilometers.
"North Korea's multiple-stage Taepo Dong missile, which is capable of
reaching parts of the United States with a nuclear weapons size payload, may
be ready for flight testing," Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, said.
Ms. Collins issued the assessment last week during a hearing of Senate
subcommittee on international security, proliferation and federal services.
The subcommittee was briefed by Robert Walpole, CIA strategic and nuclear
programs officer.
Much of the hearing concerned North Korea's missile capabilities and its
exports to Iran. Walpole said the United States will face intercontinental
ballistic missile threats from Iran and North Korea over the next 15 years.
"The multi-stage Taepo Dong-2, which is capable of reaching the United
States with a nuclear-sized payload, may be reading for flight testing,"
Walpole said. "The North probably also is working on improvements to that
current design."
Walpole said the Taepo Dong-2 has two configurations. One is a two-stage
rocket with a projected range of 10,000 kilometers. The other is a
three-stage missile with a range of 15,000 kilometers.
The CIA official said the United States has greatly increased the
estimate of the range of the Taepo Dong-2. In 1999, the missile was
estimated to have a range of between 4-6,000 kilometers.
"It takes account for different things they [North Korea] could do to
structure, materials and even payload lightening to give it an increased
range for the
system," Walpole said.
