(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The year 2024 has only entered its second week, yet North Korea has already conducted its first ballistic missile test of the year, according to reports from the state-run Communist news agency.
The ballistic missile launched in this latest series of tests involved a short-range guided missile carrying a hypersonic explosive warhead.
This missile test serves as evidence to analysts that North Korea is actively working to develop more powerful and hard-to-detect missiles with the aim of targeting United States’s interest in the region.
The Japanese and North Korean military detected the launch of North Korea’s hypersonic missile from its launch site in the capital, Pyongyang.
This launch occurred approximately two months after North Korea declared a successful test of the engine for a medium-range ballistic missile capable of targeting U.S. military bases in Japan and Guam.
The official North Korean news agency, KCNA, stated that the missile was launched to test the solid fuel engine and maneuvering capabilities with its hypersonic explosive warhead.
Analysts suggest that this missile represents an improvement in capabilities compared to its earlier variants.
Reports from North Korea’s news agency indicate that the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, attended the guided missile launch.
South Korean military sources report that the North Korean missile traveled approximately 1,000 km after launch before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
Among North Korea’s current inventory of medium-range ballistic missiles is the Hwasong-12, capable of targeting U.S. military bases in Guam but utilizing a liquid-fuel engine.
In contrast to liquid-fuel engines, guided missiles equipped with solid fuel engines can be launched more quickly and are easier to conceal from enemy surveillance.
North Korea began testing hypersonic guided missiles in 2021, with these missiles designed to travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5.
If this technology continues to advance, hypersonic guided missiles could pose challenges to current air defense systems due to their high speed and agility.
Chang Young-keun, an expert on guided missiles at the National Institute for Strategic Studies in South Korea, emphasized that Pyongyang’s recent guided missile launch indicates the country’s serious commitment to developing hypersonic missiles, especially those utilizing solid fuel engines. — DSA