The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) claims that North Korea has successfully tested a solid-fuel engine for a new intermediate-range hypersonic missile. The intended final missile will have sufficient range to strike U.S. targets once completed.
Guam is among the targets within the new missile’s range. Experts have said such a missile can also “reach” Alaska. A range adjustment can be used to strike closer targets, such as U.S. military installations on Japan’s Okinawa island.
North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-Un, oversaw the test, which took place on Tuesday at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in the country’s northwest.
According to KCNA, Kim Jong-un stated that the strategic significance of the intermediate-range missile is as crucial as intercontinental ballistic missiles that target the U.S. mainland and that the adversaries are well aware of it.
The news agency also reported on Wednesday, March 20th, that the successful test had set a timeline for the new weapons system’s development.
The new missile could hit Guam
In recent years, North Korea has been developing more weapons with solid propellants, which make launches harder to detect than liquid-propellant missiles that must be fueled before liftoffs and cannot last long.
Jong-Un announced plans to modernize North Korea’s military with advanced weapons, including a hypersonic missile, in 2021. According to experts, Jong-Un seeks a modernized weapons arsenal to gain U.S. concessions such as sanctions relief when diplomacy resumes.
KCNA did not provide further details regarding the engine tested on Tuesday or the technical nature of the test. Hypersonic weapons fly at over five times the speed of sound. If perfected, they could challenge regional missile defense due to speed and maneuverability.
Pyongyang announced its latest development one day after Kim oversaw drills with newly equipped large multiple rocket launchers. Since 2022, North Korea has also been conducting more and more provocative missile tests. In response, the U.S., South Korea, and Japan have expanded their military exercises.
North Korea ramping up hypersonic testing
According to Chang Young-keun, a missile expert at South Korea’s Research Institute for National Strategy, the January North Korean missile test likely targeted the development of the first-stage rocket, while the recent engine test focused on the second-stage rocket.
The North Korean government aims to increase the flying speed of its weapons, and this engine test is part of its efforts to achieve this goal. “The great success of the test allowed for the project to proceed under a timetable for completing the development of the new hypersonic IRBM,” KCNA explained.
According to Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute, North Korea may want to develop maneuverable hypersonic warheads to increase the range of its short-range hypersonic weapons. However, ABC News reports that the full capabilities of this new missile can only be assessed after it has been test-flighted.
Experts predict that North Korea will probably increase the frequency of these missile tests in the lead-up to the U.S. presidential election in November.
