A major U.S. daily says Vice Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, James Cartwright, believes North Korea may be capable of hitting American cities with missiles in as soon as three years.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday that the top U.S. defense official outlined the potential threat posed by North Korean missiles during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Cartwright reportedly said that in three to five years, Pyongyang could be able to achieve such a development in its missile program.

Meanwhile, the U.S. National Air and Space Intelligence Center is projecting that the Daepodong-Two missile, which is an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) being developed by the North, could be exported to other countries in the future.

The center added that North Korea has already exported missile technology to Iran, Pakistan and other countries.