US to boost missile defense against North Korea, Iran

16.03.2013, 07:36

The Pentagon announced Friday it will spend $1 billion to add 14 interceptors to a West Coast-based missile defense system, responding to what it called faster-than-anticipated North Korean progress on nuclear weapons and missiles. Defense officials confirm the move, saying it's in response to recent threats from North Korea to attack the U.S. with nuclear weapons. "The reason that we are doing what we are doing and the reason we are advancing our program here for homeland security is to not take any chances, is to stay ahead of the threat and to assure any contingency," Hagel said.A portion of the $1 billion cost of the expanded system will come from scrapping the final phase of a missile defense system the U.S. is building in Europe. Читать далее Source: Voice of Russia.