February 27, 2009 - Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02) remarked today on reports that the U.S. military is prepared to shoot down a North Korean missile or rocket if President Obama should give the order. In the report Admiral Keating, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command said, “If a missile leaves the launch pad we'll be prepared to respond upon direction of the president."

Franks said, “As North Korea prepares to test launch their advanced long range missile, we continue to receive affirmation from those in charge of building the system, testing the system, and operating the system that our current strategic ballistic missile system stands ready to intercept a missile from North Korea, should it head toward the homeland. The threat reminds us that Congress must fund not only theater ballistic missile defense, but strategic missile defense as well. To cut strategic missile defense in face of this threat would leave the homeland more vulnerable to attack.”

Below are excerpts from the Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) Test

Dr. Charles McQueary, Director of the Department of Operational Testing
 
"In my annual report, I said ground-based mid-course defense has demonstrated a limited capability to defend against a simple long-range ballistic missile threat launched from North Korea toward the United States. And I stand by that wording, both this year and last year."

“And I believe I'd characterize it if we had -- if the North Koreans launched an attack against us this afternoon, we wouldn't say we need more test data before we decided whether we were going to launch against and try to intercept that.  We'd see how the system works and we'd find out.”
 
Lt. General Patrick O'Reilly, Director of the Missile Defense Agency
 
When asked by Congressman Franks, "Are you confident that this capability that we have today can provide a defense of the American people from the current North Korean threat?"
 
Lt. Gen. O'Reilly replied, "Yes, sir. Based on the scenarios that we've tested three times, although it's limited and it's in the beginning, those scenarios overlay a launch from North Korea and a response out of Alaska. And so we have tested three times that scenario first, for obvious reasons. And that is the source of my confidence. Second of all, our firing doctrine is that we have a significant number of missiles, so we can put a significant number of missiles in the air at once. And that each time significantly increases the overall probability that you are going to be successful."