North Korea again rattled the US and other nations in the Pacific, launching four ballistic missiles into waters off the shore of Japan on Monday. South Korean officials said the launches flew on average about 620 miles and reached an altitude of 160 miles, Reuters reported. Some landed about 190 miles off the Northwestern coast of Japan. Japan, in response, filed “strong protests” with the launches that were “an extremely dangerous action” in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in Parliament. North Korea has recently launched dozens of missiles and conducted other tests of its nuclear program, prompting the US and South Korea to speed up deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system to the Korean peninsula. The launches also come as the US and South Korea are conducting their annual, large-scale Foal Eagle exercises.
The Air Force pointed out numerous operational and programmatic effects from Congress' inability to approve fiscal 2022 funding. These include hits to programs already underway as well as 16 new starts, plus seven military construction projects. Readiness also is suffering because the funding limits maintenance and exercises.