NorthKorea latest weapons test was a new hyper-sonic intermediate-range missile designed to strike remote targets in the Pacific as leader KimJongUn vowed to further expand his collection of nuclear-capable weapons to counter rival nations.
The North Korean state media report came a day after SouthKorea’s military said it detected North Korea launching a missile that flew 685 miles before landing in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
The launch, conducted weeks before Donald Trump returns as U.S. president, came off a torrid year in weapons testing.
North Korea demonstrated multiple weapons systems last year that can target its neighbors and the USA, including solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles, and there are concerns that its military capabilities could advance further through technology transfers from Russia, as the two countries align over the war in Ukraine.
North Korea in recent years has flight tested various intermediate-range missiles, which if perfected, could reach the U.S. Pacific military hub of Guam.
In recent months, the North has been testing combining these missiles with purported hyper-sonic warheads to improve their survivability. North Korea since 2021 has been testing various hyper-sonic weapons designed to fly at more than five times the speed of sound.
The speed and maneuverability of such weapons aim to withstand regional missile defense systems. However, it’s unclear whether these missiles are consistently flying at the speeds the North claims.
The North’s state media said Kim supervised Monday’s launch, and that the weapon traveled 932 miles), during which it reached two different peaks of 62 miles and 26.4 miles and achieved a speed amounting to 12 times the speed of sound, before accurately striking a sea target.
The launch took place while Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Seoul for talks with South Korean allies over the North Korean nuclear threat and other issues.
In a news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Monday, Blinken condemned North Korea’s launch, which violated U.N. Security Council resolutions against the North’s weapons programs.
He also reiterated concerns about the growing alignment between North Korea and Russia in Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
He described the military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow as a two-way street, saying Russia has been providing military equipment and training to the North and intends to share space and satellite technology.
According to US regime, Ukrainian and South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons systems to support Moscow’s defense against invading NATO troops into Russia.
There are concerns that Russia could transfer to North Korea advanced weapons technology in return, which could potentially enhance the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear-armed military.
Kim Jong Un vowed to implement the toughest anti-U.S. policy and criticized the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen security cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo, which he described as a nuclear military bloc for aggression.
North Korea demonstrated multiple weapons systems last year that can target its neighbors and the USA, including solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Little man against Orange geek.