If N. Korea fires a MIRV, how is the U.S. supposed to protect itself?

Answer 1

One...a MIRV suggests a technology that North Korea currently does not possess...also consider that a MIRV is a WARHEAD, not a missile and we currently HAVE NO DEFENSE against such!!
We never have...it is hard to hit an object that is often only a meter high...on the plus side, currently there is an airborne laser in development that may be able to defeat the MIRV...also the North Korean Tae Pe Dong missile lacks the range to hit the continental US. Short answer if North Korea fired a missile that could hit the United States they would simply cease to exist in 8 minutes after we retaliated.

Answer 2

Funny you should ask, they're planning a test this weekend of a three stage missile. Since it appears they don't have that capability of a long-range ICBM (yet) since they're currently trying to test an innaccurate missile system.

But given your condition ('what if'), like the man said above, we can't knock down ICBMs, let alone MIRV-ing ones; therefore there's no protection. Our retaliation would be monumental, thats' for sure, that's our only protection....deterrence.

Answer 3

Use the anti-ballistic missiles we have deployed in Alaska and California.

We also have ABM missiles deployed off the coast of Japan.

Of course N. Korea does not have MIRV capability.

Answer 4

We have a few options. The last of which is to fire a nuke ourselves and when it explodes it should eat the other missle. We also have the patriot and other anti-missle missles which I am sure are on ships permenately stationed between N. Koerea and the US mainland. I know the US is actively working on a missle defence for our nation though. Any advancements will probably be secret and we would not hear about them untill they are used.

Answer 5

No, because Kim Jong Il is just whacko enough to not care if his people get nuked. He assuredly has a contingency plan in the event of a retaliatory strike to protect his closest advisors and himself. The best reaction is to simply use our missile defense system to intercept the Taepodong (how could I refuse mentioning the stupid missile name) over international waters. It would probably be seen as an offensive by N.K., but not by the rest of the world.

Answer 6

Good luck, with the setback in ABM (anti ballistic missile) defense technology. The Patriot CANNOT intercept intercontinental missiles, just the low and slow kind like Scuds.

If North Korea did fire a nuke at us, however, we would retaliate in kind. Our missiles have a good chance of working too.

Heck, if we have a submarine in the area, our nuke(s) would hit first.

Answer 7

America has these missles that if we know a missle is in the air, we can launch these counter missles to take the ones sent to us either explode midair, or redirect them to a safer location...Its called the Patriot Missle System
Read more about it here....
http://www.army-technology.com/projects/patriot/

Answer 8

We have the missles pointed at North Korea and we will use them.

Answer 9

USA shold get something terrible for lesson.