has 33 Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense combatants, 5 cruisers (CGs) and 28 destroyers (DDGs), and will add an additional ballistic missile defense-capable destroyer by the end of fiscal year 2017. (7) Aegis Ashore is the land-based component of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system and is currently capable of defeating short- to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats. (8) In 2015, the United States deployed the first Aegis Ashore unit to Romania, and in 2018, the United States plans to deploy an Aegis Ashore unit to Poland. (9) The current leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, has threatened a preemptive nuclear strike against the United States and has publicly stated that North Korea can tip new-type intercontinental ballistic rockets with more powerful nuclear warheads capable of ranging the United States mainland. (10) Kim Jong-un has rapidly increased the cadence of nuclear and ballistic missile testing. (11) North Korea’s testing is steadily progressing toward their stated goal and has achieved some notable successes, including its first submarine-launched ballistic missile in 2016 and its first solid-fueled, medium-range ballistic missile in early 2017. (12) According to General John E. Hyten, Commander of United States Strategic Command, during a hearing of the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate on February 11, 2017, the North Koreans launched a new solid, medium-range ballistic missile … A solid rocket [that] can be rolled out and launched at a moment's notice. . (13) General Hyten further testified that the February 11th test also showed a new technology [and] a new North Korean capability … [The North Koreans] moved what was demonstrated at sea onto land, onto a new launcher, and did it in a very quick way. . (14) On May 14, 2017, North Korea launched a new missile, reported as a Hwasong-12, that reportedly flew a highly lofted trajectory reaching an altitude of over 2,000 kilometers and traveling more than 700 kilometers in distance before falling into the East Sea. (15) Several senior