North Korea advances with hypersonic missile aimed at attacking US bases. Source and photo: KCNA
North Korea successfully conducted on Tuesday a multi-stage solid-fuel engine test for its new type of hypersonic missile of intermediate range, as reported by the North Korean state agency KCNA.
According to the report, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and various high-ranking military officials oversaw the ground test conducted at the Sohae Satellite Launching Grounds in the country’s northwest, with the aim of bolstering defensive capabilities.
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Additionally, he expressed “great satisfaction” that development projects in the area of strategic weapons were successfully completed during the period of the established five-year plan. The news agency also reported that a schedule to complete the missile’s development “has been set through the great success in the important test.”
Hypersonic missiles are on the list of sophisticated weapons that Kim pledged to develop during a key congress of the ruling party in 2021. These weapons can travel at a speed of at least Mach 5 and are capable of targeting US military bases in Guam, in the Pacific Ocean, reports the AP.
In January, Pyongyang conducted a flight test of a medium-range ballistic missile with solid propellant and a guided hypersonic warhead. On that occasion, the characteristics of the “hypersonic warhead’s glide and maneuver flight” were tested, announced KCNA.
Rising tensions
However, North Korea launched on Monday three ballistic missiles, which fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. The projectiles flew approximately 350 kilometers at an altitude of 50 kilometers.
This is the second test of its kind conducted by North Korea this year, following the first launch on January 14. On that occasion, the North Korean missile reached a maximum altitude of 50 kilometers and flew about 500 kilometers.
Source and photo: KCNA
