US Northern Command officials say they had eyes on the missiles launched July 4 by North Korea and that ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California were poised to take out the long-range Taepo Dong 2 if it hadn’t fizzled seconds after launch. A NORTHCOM statement said the command was “able to determine quickly that the launch posed no threat to the United States or its territories.” Officials had earlier acknowledged that Pyongyang has launched seven missiles—six on Tuesday and one on Wednesday—even after widespread international condemnation of Tuesday’s show by Kim Jong-Il’s communist regime. Speaking with reporters Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he’d been notified “probably within a minute” of the actual launches.
Planning an Air Show Is Hard. At Andrews, It’s Even Harder
Sept. 17, 2025
Joint Base Andrews opened its flightline this month to thousands of civilians, exposing a normally restricted airbase that regularly hosts the president and foreign dignitaries to a curious public eager to see current and historic military aircraft up close and in action.
