Baghdad-INA
North Korea announced Wednesday that it had successfully tested a hypersonic glide missile, in what could constitute the nuclear-armed state’s latest advance in weapons technology.
The official Korean Central News Agency said that the test conducted on Tuesday “proved that all technical specifications met the design requirements,” stressing that the successful launch of this missile is “of great strategic importance” because North Korea seeks to increase its defense capabilities “a thousand-fold.”
The hypersonic missile is characterized by its speed exceeding the speed of hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles, and conventional cruise missiles, and it is also smarter than them, which makes intercepting it more difficult for the missile defense systems on which the United States spends billions of dollars.
– Third experience –
According to the official news agency, the launch, which took place from Jagang Province in the north of the country, “confirmed the missile’s navigational control ability and stability,” in addition to “the maneuverability of its guidance system and the glide flight characteristics of its separate hypersonic warhead” and its engine.
The agency confirmed that “the test results proved that all technical specifications met the design requirements.”
The launch of the missile, presented as a Hwasong-8, was supervised by a prominent member of the North Korean state apparatus, Pak Jong Chun, according to a statement that did not mention North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The official Rodong Sinmun newspaper published a photo of the missile rising into the sky in the morning.
The South Korean army announced that the North had conducted this missile test shortly after it happened on Tuesday morning, but contrary to its custom, it did not officially reveal the maximum height the missile reached nor the distance it traveled, which is information it usually provides within less than an hour of observing the launch. .
South Korean media reports quoted unnamed sources as saying that the missile launched on Tuesday had “different flight characteristics” than previous launches, while President Moon Jae-in ordered a “comprehensive analysis” of the launch.
This is North Korea’s third missile test this month. The first test took place on a long-range cruise missile, while the second test took place on short-range ballistic missiles.
North Korea is subject to international sanctions due to its banned nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
– ‘Priority task’ –
The official Korean Central News Agency wrote that the development of a hypersonic missile is one of the five “priority” tasks in the five-year plan for strategic weapons.
This plan, presented in January by Kim Jong Un, who on this occasion classified the United States as a “major enemy,” also stipulates the development of a nuclear-propelled submarine and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies, believes that Pyongyang is using the development of its arsenal “as a means to create space for diplomatic maneuvers and also to enhance its military position.”
The researcher expects other missile launches in the future and says, “In a certain way, the North’s recent behavior can be expected. They have announced military actions and are now implementing them step by step.”
The two Koreas are enhancing their military capabilities, which could turn into an arms race on the divided peninsula.
Seoul is also devoting billions of dollars to military development and this month succeeded in testing a ballistic missile from a submarine, making it one of the few countries with this advanced technology. On Tuesday, it organized a ceremony to present its third missile-launching submarine.
2024-04-06 05:06:41