A hypersonic ballistic missile has been fired by North Korea this week which is said to have hit the target successfully, the KCNA reported on January 6. This was a second test by the country as it prepares to pursue new capabilities in the military. This has come amidst the stalled denuclearisation talks.
This was the first launch by North Korea since October last year and it was detected by various militaries in the region and attracted criticism from governments including South Korea, the United States, and Japan. North Korea had first tested the hypersonic missile in September and joined the race which was headed by major military powers around the world to deploy their weapons system. Hypersonic weapons are those weapons that can fly towards targets even at lower altitudes and can also achieve more than 5 times the speed of the sound, or about 6200 kilometers per hour of speed. These are unlike the ballistic missiles that are capable of only flying into outer space before returning on to steep trajectories.
These successful tests which have been conducted by North Korea are said to have strategic significance in the hypersonic missile sector as they will hasten the task of modernizing the armed force of the country. The KCNA (Korean Central News Agency) has reported that the test on Wednesday witnessed the detachment of the hypersonic gliding warhead from its rocket booster, and the warhead maneuvered 120 km laterally before it hit the target which was 700 kilometers away. It was reported that the target was hit precisely.
The test has also been able to confirm components including flight control and the missile’s ability to operate in the winters. The missile’s ability to mix the multi-step glide jump flight and powerful lateral maneuvering was additionally incontestible on Wednesday. The analysts have stated that North Korea has not tested any nuclear bombs or long-range (ICBMs) intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017, but it’s developed and launched a series of missiles and warheads that are possibly gearing toward having the ability to beat the missile defenses from neighboring nations like South Korea or the U.S.
These hypersonic weapons that are being tested in recent times are known to be the next generation of arms that will clip the enemies of reaction time and are expected to defeat the traditional mechanisms. The photographs of the missile that was launched have revealed that it was a liquid-fueled ballistic missile that had a conical-shaped (MaRV) Manoeuvrable Reentry Vehicle. This was a different version than the last year and it was unveiled at a defense exhibition in Pyongyang for the first time.
