Call The Missile Launched Yesterday The Hypersonic Type, North Korea Claims Success In Hitting The Target

Illustration of a North Korean missile launch. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - North Korea successfully test-launched a hypersonic missile capable of hitting a target, state news agency KCNA reported on Thursday, as the country pursues new military capabilities amid stalled denuclearization talks.

Wednesday's launch was the first by North Korea since October and was detected by several militaries in the region, drawing criticism from governments in the United States, South Korea, and Japan.

North Korea first tested a hypersonic missile in September, joining a race led by major military powers to deploy advanced weapons systems.

Unlike ballistic missiles which fly into space before returning on a steep trajectory, hypersonic weapons fly towards targets at lower altitudes and can reach more than five times the speed of sound - or about 6,200 km per hour (3,850 mph).

"Successful successes in test launches in the hypersonic missile sector are of strategic significance, as they accelerate the task of modernizing the country's strategic armed forces," the KCNA report said citing Reuters on January 6.

In Wednesday's test, the 'hypersonic glide warhead' detached from its rocket booster and maneuvered 120 km (75 mi) laterally before 'precisely hitting' the 700 km (430 mi) target, KCNA reported.

The tests also confirmed components such as flight control and its ability to operate in winter. The missile demonstrated its ability to combine "multi-step glide jump flight and powerful lateral maneuvers," KCNA added.

The more maneuverable missiles and warheads are likely intended to be capable of overcoming missile defenses, such as those used by South Korea and the United States, analysts say.

"My impression is that North Korea has identified hypersonic launchers as a potentially useful qualitative means of tackling missile defenses," said Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Photos of the missile used in Wednesday's test showed it was a different version from the one tested last year, and was likely first launched at a defense exhibition in Pyongyang in October, he added.

"They likely made at least two separate development programs. One of them was the Hwasong-8, which was tested in September. This missile, which has some similarities with the Hwasong-8, is another," he explained.

Separately, the US State Department said the test violated several UN Security Council resolutions and poses a threat to North Korea's neighbors and the international community.