North Korea says it test-fired a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile on Monday, in a provocative display of its advancing weapons capabilities timed to coincide with a visit by Washington’s top diplomat to the region that came just days before the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump.
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State media heralded the test as a major milestone. Describing the missile as a cornerstone of his country’s strategic arsenal, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un boasted that it could render enemy defences ineffective.
“The hypersonic missile system will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region that can affect the security of our state,” Kim said, according to comments carried by state-run news agency KCNA. He added that the missile demonstrated the ability to deliver a “devastating military strike” by breaching even dense defensive barriers.
A picture released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday shows what it says was the test launch of a new type of hypersonic missile. Photo: KCNA via KNS/AFP
The missile reportedly travelled 1,500km (932 miles) at speeds exceeding Mach 12 – 12 times the speed of sound – during the test, which Kim personally oversaw alongside his daughter, Ju-ae. North Korea said the missile performed a “pop-up” manoeuvre, reaching a peak altitude of nearly 100km (62 miles) before separating into a hypersonic gliding vehicle designed to evade interception and deliver precision strikes.
South Korea’s military, however, reported discrepancies in the flight data, estimating the missile’s range at closer to 1,100km (684 miles). If the North’s claims are accurate, the weapon could theoretically strike US military bases in Guam, located roughly 3,400km (2,112 miles) from Pyongyang.
Intermediate-range ballistic missiles typically have a range of between 3,000km and 5,500km (1,864-3,417 miles).
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North Korea launches new hypersonic missile test ahead of Trump’s return to White House
North Korea launches new hypersonic missile test ahead of Trump’s return to White House
Hypersonic ‘self-defence’?
If verified, the test would place North Korea in an exclusive club of nations capable of developing hypersonic missile technology.
