Nuclear security

North Korea close to finishing facility for firing nukes that can reach US

North Korea appears close to finishing a giant new facility capable of firing its most powerful nuclear weapons — including some capable of reaching anywhere in the US, experts have warned.

Construction of the Sil-li Ballistic Missile Support Facility could be completed later this year, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said this week, basing its findings on clear satellite images.

The facility near the capital city of Pyongyang appears to be ready to assemble, store and then fire “the entirety of North Korea’s known ballistic missile variants,” CSIS said in a detailed analysis of the images.

That includes the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) — the first with a proven range that could allow it to strike the US East Coast.