International security


No one wants an arms race, but high-tech weapons are America's best shot at containing North Korea

With threats, bribes, diplomacy and sanctions, American presidents of both parties have sought for 25 years to try to halt, or at least slow, North Korea’s quest for a nuclear arsenal — to no avail.

Though the brinksmanship of the last few weeks has subsided, President Trump still faces the prospect of a madman — Kim Jong Un — in control of a nuclear arsenal. What the United States and its allies must now do is find options between conventional war, or even nuclear holocaust, on the one hand, and appeasement on the other. The answer could be robotic, cyber, and space weapons — if we have the will to deploy them.

Three types of technology hold promise for facing down North Korea and similar threats.

First, drones and robots. They already have been used for pinpoint strikes on terrorist leaders and insurgent forces in the Mideast. More advanced drones could potentially locate and destroy Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenals, research facilities and missile sites. Robotic naval vessels and submarines could blockade North Korea, and manned and unmanned forces could form a layered anti-missile shield.