A new U.S. intelligence report warns that the country could be outmatched by North Korea’s growing ballistic missile capabilities. The assessment, recently released by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), states that Pyongyang has successfully tested ballistic missiles with sufficient range to strike the U.S. mainland.
The United States currently relies on the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, designed to intercept nuclear warheads from intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) potentially launched from North Korea. This system includes 64 interceptor silos located at two military bases—one in Alaska and the other in California. North Korea, for its part, is one of nine countries with intercontinental capabilities and is estimated to possess around 50 nuclear warheads.
The report further indicates that North Korea currently has “10 or fewer” land-based ICBMs, each with a range exceeding 5,500 kilometers and capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads. However, the DIA projects that this number could rise to 50 ICBMs by 2035. The report does not account for submarine-launched missiles, including those potentially capable of carrying nuclear payloads—a notable example being a test reported in 2023.
One of North Korea’s most recent tests occurred in October 2024, when the country launched an ICBM reportedly capable of reaching up to 15,000 kilometers—enough to strike anywhere within the continental United States. “There is no part of the national territory that cannot be reached by current North Korean ICBMs,” warned the DIA, one of the Pentagon’s primary intelligence arms.
Just weeks after that launch, North Korea conducted another test, claiming it was the first launch of its latest intercontinental missile, the Hwasong-19. In addition, only days ago, Kim Jong Un oversaw missile drills simulating nuclear strikes against U.S. and South Korean exercises, showcasing the capabilities of the Hwasong-11A and other systems.
In light of these developments, the DIA outlined a growing challenge for the GMD system, which would require up to four interceptors for each incoming ICBM warhead. “Over the next decade, missile threats to the U.S. homeland—stemming from more advanced conventional and nuclear systems—will expand in scale and sophistication,” the report states. Meanwhile, the administration of President Donald Trump is pushing forward the development of an American version of Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, tentatively called the “Golden Dome.”
Undoubtedly, the DIA’s report underscores rising concerns about North Korea’s weapons development and its potential to overwhelm current defense systems. As Pyongyang’s missile arsenal could triple by 2035, the United States faces the pressing challenge of enhancing its interception capabilities and revisiting strategic defense options. This situation is even more critical given that, for the current White House administration, Asia has become the central focus of its foreign and defense policy amid growing competition with China and increasingly provocative behavior from North Korea.
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