North Korea claims successful test-fire of 'hypersonic missi

樓主 / hojjunc

#accelerate#strengthens#ampoule#hypersonic
North Korea claims to have successfully test-fired a new hypersonic missile, the Hwasong 8.

North Korea's state media reported that the hypersonic missile was one of the "five most important" new weapons systems in the country's five-year military development plan.

KCNA reported that the hypersonic missile is a "strategic weapon," which usually means the weapon is nuclear capable.

"This weapons system development project strengthens North Korea's self-defense," the report added.

North Korea's test launch of a hypersonic missile once again shows that North Korea continues to expand its weapons despite strict sanctions, and it has also used "ampoule" fuel technology on its missiles for the first time.

According to North Korea analyst Ankit Panda, this is a major breakthrough.

The ampoule fuel system allows the missile to be pre-fueled during production and packaged for use, meaning the missile will remain launch-ready for years.

It was North Korea's third missile test this month, following tests of new long-range cruise missiles and a new rail-mobile ballistic missile system.

Hypersonic missiles are faster and more maneuverable than ordinary missiles, making it more difficult for missile defense systems to intercept hypersonic missiles.

There are currently only a handful of countries in the world trying to develop hypersonic missiles, including the United States, Russia, China and India, and North Korea is the latest.

In July this year, Russia announced that it had successfully tested a hypersonic missile from a warship in the White Sea, with a missile speed of up to 8659.88 kilometers per hour.

Panda, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said it was difficult to assess the exact capabilities of North Korea's missiles, but "presumably should make missile defenses more difficult to challenge."

The missile uses "ampule" fuel technology and can be ready to launch at any time without the need to refuel on the battlefield, which means that the missile can be launched in a very short period of time, and it is more difficult for other countries to launch preventive attacks.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in January that scientists had completed research on a hypersonic glide warhead, and Tuesday was the first test launch of the new missile.

"It's no surprise that North Korea's development of hypersonic missiles shows that North Korea's missile ambitions are far from over," Panda said.

What does Korea say?
South Korean state media Yonhap News Agency reported on the 29th an assessment issued by the military's "Joint Staff" (Joint Staff).

According to the report, the Joint Staff believes that judging from the flight speed of North Korea's so-called "hypersonic missile", the missile is still in the early stage of development, and it will take a long time to deploy it in actual combat.

The report also said that the South Korean military has determined that South Korean and American weapons can detect and intercept missiles tested by North Korea.

What is the background of North Korea's test launch?
North Korea has conducted three test launches this month, in a sign of an accelerated expansion of its weapons development program.

The United States has called on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, and North Korea's repeated missile tests have also strained relations between Pyongyang and the new U.S. Biden administration.

For North Korea's neighbors, North Korea's continued weapons development also poses a major threat to regional security. Japan's past colonial rule of North Korea, North Korea's past kidnapping of Japanese citizens, and missile tests are all hotspots affecting relations between the two sides.

But Pyongyang has insisted on developing weapons programs, and North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, Kim Sung, previously spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York to defend North Korea's right to develop weapons.

"North Korea is committed to expanding its self-defense capabilities to ensure national security and peace," he said.

North Korea has also accused the international community of applying double standards to South Korea's military activities.

South Korea also recently tested its first submarine-launched ballistic missile, citing the need to counter North Korea's "provocation."