North Korea fired another intercontinental ballistic missile this Saturday, the 18th. This is the first launch of such a missile in the year, since the one launched in the New Year was short-range.
According to Japanese and South Korean officials, the missile was launched near Pyongyang International Airport in the North Korean capital, flew about 900 km east and landed in waters north of Japan.
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The action comes a day after the country pledged to take “intensely persistent and strong” actions against the joint military exercises that the United States and South Korea plan for this first half of this year.
The last time North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile was on November 18, 2022, when it used the Hwasong-17North Korea’s most powerful long-range missile.
However, flight data from the Hwasong-17 test indicated that if launched at a normal angle, the missile could theoretically hit the United States.
According to the Minister of Defense of Japan, Yasukazu Hamada, the same could have occurred in this launch if the missile had then been fired on a normal trajectory – after all, the weapon would be able to travel about 14,000 kilometers, enough to reach any location in the United States. .
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In 2022, North Korea launched more missiles than in any previous year: 95 in total. Although the country has only named two intercontinental ballistic missiles, South Korea claims that several tests have been carried out with this type of ammunition.
Now, the concern turns to the advances that North Korea has made in missiles that use solid fuel. In recent years, the country has fired a series of short-range missiles using this fuel, and now Kim is pressing his engineers to develop a longer-range one.
This weapon poses a greater danger because in addition to being easier to launch, these missiles are more difficult to detect.
Via The New York Times.
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