A former CIA official says the U.S. is unlikely to attempt to intercept a North Korean satellite or missile due to technological shortfalls and political ramifications.

Art Brown, former chief of the Asian Division for the Central Intelligence Agency, said in an email to Yonhap News that shooting down a satellite is an “act of war.”

He added that U.S. ability to actually hit a North Korean missile is very low.

Brown predicted that a successful North Korean satellite launch would cause a “growing sense of urgency” in the U.S., as it means that North Korea has the technology required to hit U.S. soil with a long-range missile.