Jubilee Post News & Views
Special Desk
Days after Kim Yo Jong sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un showed willingness to talk to South Korea, the North Korea claimed it successfully tested a new hypersonic missile.
State media reported the new missile called ‘Hwasong-8’ was one of the five most important new weapons systems laid out in its five-year military development plan. They called the missile a strategic weapon, which means it has nuclear capabilities.
Tuesday’s launch also saw North Korea introduce missile fuel ampoule for the first time. This is a technology that allows missiles to be pre-fuelled and then sent to the field in canisters. This means it could stay launch-ready for years.
The latest launch also marked the country’s third missile test this month. It has already revealed a new type of cruise missile, as a well as a new train-launched ballistic missile system.
To know, Hypersonic missiles are much faster and more agile than normal ones, making them much harder for missile defence systems to intercept.
In October 2020, North Korea unveiled its new ballistic missile. It has not yet been named or tested. Like the Hwasong-15, it is a two-stage liquid fuelled missile, but with a greater length and diameter. It could possibly allow for multiple warheads.
It is believed to be able to deliver a nuclear warhead to anywhere in the US, and its size had surprised even seasoned analysts when it was put on show in 2020.
In January 2021, North Korea unveiled another missile – a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile which it declared to be “the world’s most powerful weapon.
