US 'to boost missile defences', to counter North Korea

03/15/13:  The BBC reports the Pentagon is expected to announce plans to boost missile defences on the US West Coast to counter the threat from North Korea. The US plans to add 14 interceptors, which can shoot down missiles in flight, to 30 already in place in California and Alaska, officials say. US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel is set to outline the decision at 15:00 (19:00 GMT) on Friday. Tensions have escalated after North Korea's third nuclear test last month. Only last week, the Pyongyang regime, which is known for its fiery rhetoric, threatened the US with a pre-emptive nuclear strike. However, analysts say that North Korea's missiles do not have the capability to reach the continental United States. In a speech on Tuesday, James Miller, defence undersecretary for policy, noted that the Pentagon had the ability to deploy the additional missile interceptors "if needed". He did not say in that speech that a decision had been reached to do so.