US has 'ironclad' commitment to protecting allies, Pentagon tells North Korea

On the morning of February 12 , North Korea conducted a ballistic missile test launch from Banghyon air base near the west coast of the country. (Photo by AFP)

The US Department of Defense has censured North Korea for its latest missile test, saying that Washington’s commitment to protecting the homeland and its allies is "ironclad."

Speaking to reporters in Washington, DC, on Monday, Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis described North Korea's weapons programs as a grave threat to US national security.

"We are capable of defending against a North Korean ballistic missile attack and will take all necessary measures to deter and defeat threats to our and our allies' territories and citizens," Davis stated.

According to North Korea's KCNA news agency, the East Asian country had successfully test-fired a new type of medium- to long-range ballistic missile on Sunday.

"It's very similar to what they've launched from their submarines in the past," Davis told reporters. "This appears to be a land-based variant of it."

US officials told CNN on Monday that North Korea's latest missile launch showed new capabilities

Two US officials said the launch involved the first land-based test of an intermediate-range missile that was fired from a submarine last August.

They added that the missile flew farther than any previous North Korean tests, about 300 miles before dropping into the Sea of Japan.