Under the supervision of leader Kim Jong-un, North Korea successfully tested a new Hwasong-11DA-4.5 tactical ballistic missile and a modified strategic cruise missile.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), “Leader Kim Jong Un led the weapons tests and expressed satisfaction with the results.”
“These tests and the increase in the power of weapons through tests are directly related to the serious threat to the national security of North Korea from external forces,” Kim said.
He explained that “the military and political situation in the region that today threatens North Korea’s national security requires that strengthening military power be one of the state’s priorities.”
He added that “North Korea, in addition to strengthening its nuclear force, must possess the most powerful military technical capabilities in the world, in addition to dominant striking capabilities in the field of conventional weapons.”
Kim pointed out that “possessing a strong force allows for ‘deterring and thwarting’ the enemy’s strategic calculations and will, and contributes to protecting peace and security.”
“The new tactical ballistic missile was equipped with a 4.5-ton super-large warhead,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, explaining that “the aim of the test-fire was to verify the accuracy of the missile equipped with the super-large warhead hitting a target up to 320 kilometers away, as well as to evaluate the explosion power of the super-large warhead.”
According to the agency, “the modified strategic missile, whose power was improved in line with its combat application, was also tested.”
For its part, South Korea strongly condemned the launch, noting that it “poses a threat to regional peace and security,” and the Japanese government also expressed its strong protest.
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2024-09-21 06:14:24