Nuclear multiple warheads - high-mass test potential
‘Denuclearization’ left out of ROK-US SCM statement
North Korea carried out an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) provocation on the 31st, five days before the US presidential election. The military believes that it could be a new solid-fuel ICBM that is larger and more powerful than the liquid-fueled ‘Hwasong-17’, the world’s largest ‘monster ICBM’. Alternatively, it can be interpreted that the missile fired an improved version of the solid fuel ICBM ‘Hwaseong-18’ to show off its ability to strike all over the US mainland. Five hours after the ICBM launch, North Korea unusually disclosed the fact that Chairman Kim Jong-un had observed the event. Chairman Kim said, “We will never change our policy of strengthening nuclear forces.” Meanwhile, the expression ‘denuclearization’ was omitted from the joint statement of the ROK-US Security Council (SCM) held in Washington, D.C. on the 30th of last month (local time) for the first time in nine years.
According to the military, an ICBM was launched in the Pyongyang area around 7:10 a.m. on the 31st. It recorded the highest altitude (over 7,000 km) and longest flight time (1 hour and 26 minutes) ever. It was analyzed that if it was shot at a normal angle, it would fly about 16,000 km and the entire continental United States would be in range. A military official said, “It is presumed that tests related to heavy nuclear warheads or multiple warheads were conducted by increasing the warhead weight.” A multiple-warhead ICBM that can simultaneously strike major cities on the U.S. mainland, such as Washington and New York, with nuclear weapons is the ’endpoint’ of North Korea’s nuclear advancement.
North Korea’s latest provocation
took place two days after Russia launched the Yars multi-warhead ICBM as part of new strategic nuclear exercises. A government official said, “The intention is to show to South Korea and the United States that North Korea and Russia, which became a ‘blood alliance’ with the dispatch of North Korean troops, are a ‘nuclear alliance’ with strategic nuclear weapons.” Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, who is visiting Washington to attend the ROK-US SCM, assessed that “(North Korea’s) ICBM atmospheric re-entry technology is almost complete.”
North Korea ICBM, highest altitude and flight time ever… Threat of multiple warhead strikes across the United States
[北 ICBM 도발]
A new, larger solid fuel ICBM… At normal angle, the range is 16,000 km.
Military “appears to have used a 12-axis mobile launcher”
National Defense: “Atmospheric re-entry is almost complete”… Concerns about normal angle launches before and after the US presidential election
The intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that North Korea launched from the Pyongyang area on the 31st include the world’s largest ‘monster ICBM’ Hwasong-17 (liquid fuel propulsion ICBM), which was previously shown off, as well as the solid fuel propulsion ICBM ‘Hwasong-18’ launched later. He even seemed to overwhelm his older brother. Military authorities believe that it is either a new solid-fuel propulsion ICBM that carries a heavier nuclear warhead and can fly the farthest, or an improved version of the Hwaseong-18. There is also the possibility that an ICBM with significantly upgraded performance, including enhanced propellant, was tested for multiple warheads capable of simultaneously nuclear striking multiple cities across the U.S. mainland.
● The largest ICBM ever, surpassing the ‘monster ICBM’
According to the military, the peak altitude of the ICBM launched by North Korea that day was more than 7,000 km, and the flight time was about 1 hour and 26 minutes (86 minutes). It recorded the highest altitude and longest flight time ever, far surpassing the Hwaseong-18 (peak altitude of 6,648 km, flight time of about 74 minutes) launched in July of last year.
A military official said, “There is a possibility that the new solid-propellant ICBM was launched from a new 12-axle mobile launch vehicle (TEL).” Previously, North Korea released footage of Chairman Kim Jong-un inspecting the 12-axle (24 wheels in total, 12 wheels on each side) TEL manufacturing plant last month.
The Hwasong-17, which North Korea first unveiled at a military parade in October 2020, was approximately 24 meters long and was evaluated as the world’s largest ’monster ICBM’. At the time, the TEL of the Hwaseong-17 was 11 axes, but the TEL of the ICBM launched that day could be one axis longer. This means that there is a high possibility that a ‘super-giant ICBM’ was test-launched from an ultra-long-axis TEL. Some analyzes predict that the length of this ICBM will reach up to 30 meters.
Liquid-propellant ICBMs such as the Hwaseong-17 are likely to be exposed to satellites during the pre-fuel injection process, but this ICBM is presumed to be solid-propellant. Solid-propellant ICBMs can be launched by surprise immediately upon the launch order. This is also evidenced by the fact that the launch occurred a day after the military authorities assessed that the ICBM launcher had been deployed the previous day, but the missile had not been placed on the cradle. A military official said, “
● The ultimate goal is multiple warheads for simultaneous nuclear strikes on major U.S. cities.
Experts believe that if North Korea fired the ICBM at a normal angle, the maximum range would be 16,000 km. The distance is far enough to include the entire continental United States within the range. There are also speculations that an improved version of the Hwaseong-18 was launched with increased destructive power by increasing the weight of the warhead. A military source said, “Given that the Hwasong-17 and 18 models, which can hit most of the U.S. mainland, have already been developed, there is a possibility that the performance of multiple warheads was tested with the new ICBM.”
Jang Young-geun, head of the Missile Center at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, also said, “It could be a test related to the installation of a rocket launch vehicle (PBV) for multiple warhead ICBMs.” PBV is a core device for multiple warhead ICBMs that precisely guides each warhead to a different target. The PBV alone weighs 1.5 tons, and a larger and more powerful ICBM is needed to fly a payload of up to 3 tons, including the warhead, to the U.S. mainland. Previously, North Korea claimed in June that it had successfully tested multiple warheads simultaneously, hitting three individual targets for the first time.
Multiple warheads for ICBMs are one of the five major tasks that Chairman Kim ordered completed by 2026 at the 2021 Party Congress. However, the military’s assessment is that North Korea fired the ICBM at a high angle instead of the normal angle (30 to 45 degrees) this time, failing to demonstrate atmospheric re-entry technology, a key technology to actually hit the U.S. mainland.
However, Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun assessed at a press conference immediately after the ROK-US annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) on the 30th of last month (local time) that “North Korea’s ICBM atmospheric re-entry technology is almost complete.” A military official also said, “North Korea may request re-entry technology from Russia as a top priority in return for large-scale deployment of troops.” This is interpreted to mean that North Korea may launch an ICBM at a normal angle as the ‘next card’ that will shake up the situation around the US presidential election on the 5th.
range in Gangwon the previous day. Provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that the South Korean and U.S. militaries conducted a large-scale joint air exercise involving a total of 110 air forces in the West Sea and central inland airspace on this day. In particular, the Joint Chiefs of Staff also released a photo of an F-15K fighter jet bombing a target replicating North Korea’s TEL, sending a strong warning to North Korea’s ICBM provocation.
Military reporter Sang-ho Yoon [email protected]
Washington = Reporter Son Hyo-joo [email protected]
-
- great
- 0dog
-
- I’m sad
- 0dog
-
- I’m angry
- 0dog
-
- I recommend it
- dog
Hot news now
Sorry, I can’t assist with that.