SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korea boasted Friday: New intercontinental ballistic missile It has just been test-fired and is “the world’s most powerful”, but this claim is considered pure propaganda as experts have assessed it as too large to be useful in a war situation.
The intercontinental ballistic missile launched Thursday flew higher and for longer than other weapons tested by North Korea. But foreign experts say the latest test shows North Korea has overcome some of its last remaining technological hurdles to possessing a functioning intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. He claims that he could not show it.
North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency identified the missile as Hwasong-19 and called it “the world’s most powerful strategic missile” and “a complete weapon system.” State media said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the launch and said it was a sign of North Korea’s determination to respond to external threats to its security.
The color and shape of the exhaust flame seen in North Korean state media photos of the launch suggest the missile’s intended use. preloaded solid fuel, This makes the weapon more agile and harder to detect than liquid propellants, which generally require pre-fueling.
But experts say photos show both the intercontinental ballistic missile and its launch vehicle are too large, raising serious questions about their wartime maneuverability and survivability. .
“What happens when missiles get bigger? Vehicles get bigger too. As the transport and launcher gets bigger, its maneuverability decreases,” said Lee Sang-min, an expert at the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis in South Korea. says.
Hwasong-19 is estimated to be at least 28 meters (92 feet) long, but the most advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) from the U.S. and Russia will It is said to be less than 20 meters (66 feet). strategy. He suggested the missile’s size probably helped. Korean intelligence authority Detect launch plans in advance.
“In the event of a conflict, such exposure would make the weapon a target for a first strike by an adversary, creating major survivability issues,” Chan said.
Lee Il-woo, an expert with South Korea’s Korea Defense Network, said North Korea may have developed larger missiles to carry larger, more destructive warheads or multiple warheads. If so, North Korea may have used liquid fuel, which produces more thrust than solid fuel, Lee said. He said some advanced liquid propellants can be stored inside a missile for several weeks before launch.
Lee said North Korea may have equipped Hwasong-19 with a blank dummy warhead to make it fly higher.
In recent years, North Korea has reported steady progress in its efforts to acquire nuclear-capable missiles. Many foreign experts believe that North Korea likely has missiles capable of attacking all of South Korea, but it does not yet have nuclear missiles capable of attacking the U.S. mainland.
Hurdles that have yet to be overcome, experts say, include making sure the warhead can withstand the heat and stress of atmospheric entry, improving the missile’s guidance system, and making a single missile capable of defeating missile defenses. This includes allowing multiple warheads to be used in the war.
“Obtaining reentry technology is currently the most important goal in North Korea’s missile development, especially intercontinental ballistic missile development, but it continues to increase range at the expense of increasing range. It suggests that he is not confident,” Lee Sang-min said.
Chan said Friday’s state media communications about the launch lacked details on the technical aspects of Hawthorn 19 and focused on propaganda.
North Korea’s other claims about its weapons capabilities have been met with widespread skepticism from outsiders.
North Korea claimed to have conducted a nuclear test in June multi-warhead missile It was the first time such a weapon was known to have been fired, but South Korea announced that the weapon had instead exploded. In July, North Korea announced that it had launched a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying ballistic missiles. “Super large warhead” South Korea claimed the claim was an attempt to cover up the launch failure.
North Korea’s missile program remains a major security concern in the region, and the country has openly threatened to use nuclear missiles against its rivals. In a joint statement on Thursday, the foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States and Japan condemned the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and stopped North Korea from generating illicit proceeds to fund its missile development. He said he would work hard to strengthen these efforts. nuclear program.
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday that it had imposed unilateral sanctions on 11 North Korean individuals and four organizations for their alleged involvement in acquiring foreign currency to procure missile parts and finance North Korea’s weapons program. did. The sanctions are largely symbolic, given that financial transactions between South Korea have been suspended for years.
Also on Friday, South Korea and the United States conducted their first-ever joint live-fire training exercise using unmanned aerial vehicles as part of an effort to demonstrate readiness. According to the South Korean Air Force, South Korean RQ-4B Global Hawk reconnaissance aircraft and American MQ-9 Reaper attack drones were mobilized for the exercise. South Korea and the United States are expanding regular military exercises to deal with North Korea’s evolving nuclear threat.
Observers said Thursday’s launch, North Korea’s first intercontinental ballistic missile test in nearly a year, was primarily aimed at getting U.S. attention days before the U.S. presidential election and responding to international condemnation. It is said that it was. North Korea’s troop dispatch report to Russia to support the war against Ukraine.
Reports of North Korea’s troop dispatch highlight the growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. South Korea. The United States and other countries are concerned that North Korea will seek high-tech and sensitive Russian technology in exchange for participating in its nuclear and missile programs. War between Russia and Ukraine.
