US: NKorea launch was an intercontinental ballistic missile
The missile launched Friday by North Korea was an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, the Pentagon said, marking the second time this month Kim Jong Un has demonstrated a theoretical capability of striking a portion of US territory.
The missile was launched on a lofted, or heightened, trajectory that limited the distance it traveled, but data collected by US radars, satellites and other sensors showed that it was theoretically capable of traveling at least 5,500 kilometers on a normal trajectory. That is the minimum distance to be classified by the US as an ICBM.
President Donald Trump has said he will not allow North Korea to obtain an ICBM that can deliver a nuclear warhead.
"We assess that this missile was an intercontinental ballistic missile, as had been expected," a Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said. He said it was estimated to have traveled about 1,000 kilometers, or 620 miles, before landing in the Sea of Japan.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command determined the missile did not pose a threat to North America, he said.
