North Korea: North Korea is projected to have 50 ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, by 2035, an intelligence agency of the U.S. Defense Department said in a report Tuesday. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) released the report on the current and future threats to the U.S. homeland, pointing out evolving missile threats from the North, China, Russia, and Iran.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the report highlighted North Korea's successful tests of ballistic missiles with sufficient range to reach the entire U.S. homeland. It is expected that North Korea's ICBM numbers will increase significantly from the current 10 or fewer to 50 by 2035. In comparison, China is projected to have 700 ICBMs by that year, up from the current 400.
The report also forecasted changes in the number of ICBMs for other countries. Russia's ICBM count is expected to rise to 400 from the current 350 by 2035, while Iran, currently with no ICBMs, is anticipated to have 60. The agency defined the ICBM in focus as a ground-based missile with a range exceeding 5,500 kilometers, which flies on a ballistic trajectory and is typically armed with a nuclear warhead or warheads.