North Korea poses a more significant threat to the United States than Iran in the near term, and more priorities should be given to defending against missile threats from the communist nation, the incoming U.S. Northern Command chief said Thursday.

Gen. Lori Robinson, nominated to be commander of the U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, made the assessment in written testimony for a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing. She said the North's "ability to project power grows while our ability to predict its intent wanes."

"In the near term, North Korea poses a more significant threat and I believe priorities should be focused on closing those discrimination gaps," Robinson said in response to a question about the necessity of a long-range discrimination radar to defend against threats from Iran.

"The long-range discrimination radar slated for Clear, AK is a good first step in doing just that," she said, referring to an Alaska Air National Guard radar station designed to detect incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

She also stressed the importance of making sure the U.S. missile defense system works.

"We must ensure that our ballistic missile defense systems remain operationally effective, especially in light of the DPRK's continued ballistic missile capability development," Robinson said.

"If confirmed, I will continue to represent the warfighting community with the Missile Defense Agency to execute their challenging test campaign that enables the Department of Defense to continue to strengthen mission capabilities," she said.

Robinson, commander of Pacific Air Forces, was nominated last month to succeed Adm. William Gortney as chief of the Colorado-based Northern Command, charged with homeland defense. (Yonhap)