OMAHA (Sputnik) — The United States is unable to say when North Korea will make a real intercontinental missile, US Air Force Global Strike Command Vice Commander Paul Tibbets IV said.
"I know for fact that we don't know that at this point," Tibbets told reporters at the STRATCOM Deterrence Symposium in Omaha, Nebraska on Wednesday. "It would be beyond me to speculate on what that timeframe might be."
On July 4, North Korea announced it successfully launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-14, which travelled 933 kilometers (580 miles) before falling into the Sea of Japan.
Tibbets explained while the exact timeframe for the development of such missile is not known, nations should be aware of the importance of working together to address the problem, including via a public debate and in education institutions.
"We have to continue to mature our thinking and mature our capabilities to deter where that needs to be done and to be able to take care of our citizens both in the United States, and of course, our friends and allies as well," Tibbits said.
North Korea has carried out a number of ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests in recent months, all of which are considered to be in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
