The United States has activated its ground-based interceptor missile-defence system amid concerns over an expected North Korean missile launch, a US defence official said today.
Pentagon officials declined to say whether they would try to shoot down any missile launched by the reclusive communist state, but other US officials have said that is unlikely, assuming the launch is aimed at open water.
Many US experts say Pyongyang has a legal right to test and there are questions about the accuracy of US missile defences.
Pyongyang had no immediate comment, but a North Korean official said earlier the country does not feel bound by pledges to halt test firings of long-range missiles.
A US defence official confirmed a Washington Times report that the Pentagon had switched its multibillion-dollar missile-defence system from test mode to operational.
"It's good to be ready," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Pentagon spokesman Eric Ruff, asked whether the United States would try to shoot down a North Korean missile, said: "We have a limited missile-defence system ... We don't discuss the alert status or the specific capabilities."
The United States has built a complex of interceptor missiles, advanced radar stations and data relays designed to detect and shoot down an enemy missile. Test results have been mixed, but officials had previously said the system could be activated on short notice