The top US military commander in the Pacific has said US defenses could intercept a ballistic missile launched by the DPRK.

Admiral Samuel Locklear, commander of the US Pacific Command, said Pyongyang's development of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles represented a clear threat to the United States and its allies in the region.

But he said the US was "ready" if the DPRK were to attempt a strike. Locklear added that a decision on whether any DPRK's missile should be intercepted should be based on where it is aimed and expected to land.

The US has deployed a number of mobile missile defense systems to the Asia-Pacific region. It's also sent a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system to Guam to counter threats posed by the DPRK to the US and its allies.

The top US military commander in the Pacific has said US defenses could intercept a ballistic missile launched by the DPRK.