NK being small and with the US being able to establish anti-missle batteries near the border or just offshore, I would think you’d be wanting to target the NORK missiles as soon as possible after launch, i. e. Before maximum velocity. You don’t want to be trying to intercept multiple warheads on re-entry (it has to be assumed that either Russia or China is providing NK with the technology so that they could already have MIRV capability). Is this technologically feasible?
“... I would think you’d be wanting to target the NORK missiles as soon as possible after launch, i. e. Before maximum velocity... “
Aegis systems must be in the target zone to be effective.
The 20 SM-1 missiles stationed in AK target the descent stage only; there are no more missiles as Zero gutted the program; they are good for about 4 or 5 incoming only as 3 or 4 will be targeted at each incoming - a system easily overwhelmed.
At the moment, we are extremely vulnerable ...