Kim Jong Un was seen happily smoking a cigarette while overseeing the launch of a new hypersonic missile.
The North Korean dictator wore an all-black suit while smoking a cigarette in the run-up to the test-fire of the Hwasong-16B, a new type of intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile loaded with a newly developed hypersonic glide warhead. .
The launch took place on Tuesday at an undisclosed location in North Korea, but the photos were shared today.
After the test, Kim declared that North Korea had developed the capability to build nuclear-capable solid-fuel missiles of all ranges as it seeks an arsenal that can credibly threaten its rivals in Asia and the United States.
State media said the test was overseen by Kim, who described the Hwasong-16B missile as a key piece of his nuclear deterrent that he vowed to continue developing to counter his “enemies,” referring to the United States, South Korea and Japan. .
The North Korean dictator wore an all-black suit while smoking a cigarette before the Hwasong-16B test fire.
The Hwasong-16B is a new-type intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile loaded with a newly developed hypersonic glide warhead.
In recent years, North Korea has been developing more missiles with built-in solid propellants.
In recent years, North Korea has been developing more missiles with built-in solid propellants. These weapons are easier to move and conceal, and can be launched faster than liquid-propelled missiles, which need to be loaded with fuel before launch and cannot remain charged for long periods of time.
North Korea tested a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time last year, adding to its arsenal of long-range weapons aimed at the continental United States.
The country also has a wide range of short- and medium-range solid-fuel missiles that can be fired from ground vehicles, ships and submarines and are potentially capable of hitting targets throughout South Korea and Japan.
In recent months, North Korea demonstrated some of these missiles in exercises it described as simulated nuclear attacks.
Since 2021, it has also been testing hypersonic weapons designed to fly at more than five times the speed of sound.
If perfected, these systems could pose a challenge to regional missile defense systems due to their speed and maneuverability. However, it is unclear whether these missiles consistently fly at the speeds the North claims.
The UN watched with delight as it monitored Tuesday’s missile test in North Korea.
The North Korean dictator was seen posing in front of the Hwasong-16B
Kim wore an all-black suit as he oversaw the testing of his new hypersonic missiles.
North Korea’s official KCNA media outlet said that during Tuesday’s test, the missile’s hypersonic glide warhead reached a maximum altitude of 62 miles and flew about 621 miles.
North Korea’s official KCNA media outlet said that during Tuesday’s test, the missile’s hypersonic glide warhead reached a maximum altitude of 62 miles and flew about 621 miles after separating from the launch rocket, and performed several maneuvers before landing in waters. between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. .
But the South Korean military said the North is exaggerating the success of the test and its overall missile prowess.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Wednesday stood by its assessment that the missile flew about 372 miles and accused North Korea of ​​exaggerating the missile’s flight performance, although it acknowledged that the North’s technologies were improving.
The day before, Japan reported a similar flight distance, although its Ministry of Defense reported a maximum altitude close to that claimed by North Korea.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it is still unclear whether North Korea has perfected technologies to ensure the warheads of its solid-fuel hypersonic missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles survive the harsh conditions of atmospheric re-entry.
“Hypersonic missiles are weapons systems that are still being developed by advanced nations (United States, China and Russia, etc.) and require very difficult technologies,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message to reporters.
The South Korean military said the North is exaggerating the success of the test and its overall missile prowess.
North Korea in previous tests has fielded two different types of hypersonic vehicles.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the test launch of a possible new medium- and long-range solid-fuel hypersonic missile.
Tensions in the region have risen since 2022, when Kim used the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a distraction to accelerate his tests of missiles and other weapons.
“It is difficult to predict when they will be deployed operationally, but it is expected to take a considerable amount of time.”
North Korea also tested a suspected intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile in January, years after flight-testing liquid-fueled IRBMs. Experts say these weapons, if perfected, are potentially capable of hitting remote AU targets in the Pacific.
“North Korea’s development of hypersonic intercontinental ballistic missiles is targeting Guam, which is home to US military bases, and even Alaska,” said Chang Young-keun, a missile expert at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy. South.
Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the missile tested Tuesday was likely different from the system tested in January, which state media did not name but was likely the Hwasong-16A.
In previous tests, North Korea fielded two different types of hypersonic vehicles: one conical and one wedge-shaped. Images from state media show the January launch involved a conical warhead, while the wedge-shaped design was used for Tuesday’s launch.
Tensions in the region have risen since 2022, when Kim used the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a distraction to accelerate his tests of missiles and other weapons. The United States and South Korea have responded by expanding their combined training and trilateral exercises involving Japan and fine-tuning their deterrence strategies based on American strategic assets.
Hours after the launch, Seoul’s Defense Ministry announced that South Korea, the United States and Japan conducted a combined aerial exercise over waters near South Korea’s Jeju Island involving at least one American B-bomber. 52 with nuclear capability.