Japan: NKorea missile test shows potential ability to hit US

The Japanese defence minister says a North Korean missile test-launched Friday could potentially reach the entire continental US.

Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters that the suspected intercontinental ballistic missile flew 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) at a maximum altitude of about 6,000 kilometers (3,600 miles). He says the altitude suggests that the missile was likely launched on a high angle.

He says depending on the weight of a warhead to be placed on the missile, the weapon has a range exceeding 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles), "in which case it could cover the entire mainland United States.''