Hawaii will begin testing nuclear sirens

As tensions continue to escalate between the United States and North Korea, Hawaii plans to test a state-wide siren to help warn its residents in case of a nuclear attack.

CBS Military Analyst and Retired Army Major Mike Lyons spoke with KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross about the dangers posed by North Korea.

“The Hawaiian government wants to prepare its citizens,” Lyons said. “The threat from North Korea comes more from an atomic weapon, something that fires in the area, gets close to Honolulu, gets close to Pearl Harbor, has an air burst that could cause over-pressurization. It doesn’t have to be particularly accurate, but it would hit a target potentially there and have significant causalities.”

Hawaii’s nuclear siren, called the Attack Warning Tone, dates back to the Cold War. Starting on December 1, the siren will sound on the first business day of every month, after the regular test sirens that warn of hurricanes and tsunamis.

Over 1.4 million people occupy the islands of Hawaii.

“They’re not estimating that North Korea could take all of them out at once, but it would cause significant damage,” Lyons said. “The challenge that Hawaii has is the missile defense comes from the Pacific Fleet itself. The air defense that exists along the West Coast might not make it to Hawaii in time.”

Hawaii is just 4,661 miles from North Korea. CNN estimated that it would take about 20 minutes for a missile launched by North Korea to reach the islands. In the event of an attack, the nuclear sirens would hopefully warn Hawaiians early enough for them to get to a safe place.

North Korea’s most recent missile test occurred on Tuesday morning. The New York Times reported that the intercontinental ballistic missile flew higher and longer than did previous missiles tested.

The launch suggests that North Korea may have the capability to attack as far as Washington, D.C. However, though the success of the test is worrisome, the missile likely wasn’t carrying much weight. A heavy nuclear weapon could potentially reduce the missile’s range and effectiveness.

“It would be very challenging from a physics perspective for North Korea to hit Hawaii with any kind of missile,” Lyons said.

As for North Korea’s claims that it has a hydrogen bomb, Lyons said the assumption is that the country has tested it underground. A hydrogen bomb uses both atomic fuel and thermonuclear fuel, making it much more powerful than an atomic bomb.

“If they have it, all they would have to do is get close,” Lyons said. “They wouldn’t necessarily have to have the same level of precision with their rockets.”

However, Lyons reiterated, there’s no solid proof. And even if North Korea did have an H-bomb, it is unlikely they have the capability to attach it to a missile.

Also of concern are the 2018 Winter Olympics, which are set to begin in PyeongChang, South Korea on February 9. As of now, Lyons said, things are proceeding normally. No U.S. diplomats have been evacuated from the country.

“Military exercises are still scheduled to be done and still will be performed in the springtime there,” he said.