Warhead

Kill vehicle

Satellite

detects

launch

Ground- and

sea-based

radars track

missile’s flight

1

2

3

Multi-stage interceptor

North Korea missile

1 First line of defence

Patriot and Thaad interceptors launch from South Korea

2 Second line of defence

Aegis ballistic missile interceptors fire from warships in the Pacific

3 Third line of defence

Interceptors fire from Alaska and California. Kill vehicle tracks incoming warhead and alters course to collide at 24,000km/h

Warhead

Kill vehicle

Satellite

detects

launch

Ground- and

sea-based

radars track

missile’s flight

North

Korean

missile

Multi-stage

interceptor

1

2

3

1

First line of defence

Patriot and Thaad interceptors launch

from South Korea

2

Second line of defence

Aegis ballistic missile interceptors fire from

warships in the Pacific

3

Third line of defence

Interceptors fire from Alaska and California. Kill vehicle tracks incoming warhead and alters course to collide at 24,000km/h