According to state media, this is North Korea second successful test of a hypersonic missile in less than a week under Kim Jong-direct un’s supervision. South Korean military officials said Tuesday’s test was more sophisticated than a hypersonic missile test conducted a week earlier. Which led some flights on the west coast of the United States to momentarily grounded.
What is so alarming about the North Korean government developing hypersonic missiles?
Hypersonic glide missiles are lethal for a variety of reasons. Unlike ballistic missiles, which travel in a somewhat predictable parabola. Hypersonic weapons could fly laterally, near the Earth’s surface, and strike a target in a far shorter flight time. They can travel at speeds of up to 6,200 kilometers per hour, or 5 times the speed of sound (3,850mph). They are more difficult to follow and intercept because of these qualities. Along with the United States and China, North Korea is now one of a select handful of countries working on hypersonic missiles of their own.
Hypersonic Missiles Can Outrun Radar Longer Than Ballistic Missiles
Kim Jong-un has disregarded warnings and sanctions from the United States and the United Nations to conduct nuclear tests. On Tuesday, a missile carrying a “hypersonic glide vehicle” struck “the targeted target in waters 1K kilometers distant,” according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
According to images posted on the website of the official newspaper of the governing Workers’ Party, Rodong Sinmun. Kim was picture wearing a long black coat and using binoculars to monitor the rocket from his mobile observation station. The transformation of Kim Jong-un, now 10 years old, from “tempestuous” to “little rocket man”. China’s latest hypersonic glide vehicle proved even more impressive in its last test-fire, according to KCNA.
North Korean studies professor Lim Eul-Chul believes that Kim Jong-participation in the missile test suggests that the degree of completion of the hypersonic missile has reached a suitable level. Other images published in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed the rocket taking off in a blaze of fire and smoke over the countryside at the crack of dawn, as Kim Jong Il studied charts with officials in uniform.
A hypersonic glide missile test conducted in Sep 2021 and another one conducted this week . North Korea’s latest known hypersonic glide missile tests. According to the South Korean military, the launch on Tuesday reached hypersonic speeds and showed strong evidence of “improvement” over the test the week before. According to the KCNA report, the hypersonic glide vehicle “executed glide jump flight from 600km region before completing a 240km corkscrew.” Mach 5 or more and the ability to change course mid-flight make hypersonic missiles more challenging to intercept and track. All three countries have claim to have tested hypersonic glide vehicles, although Russia is now recognize as the most advanced.
Despite international restrictions, North Korea’s military technology has evolved dramatically in the decade since Kim took power. Strategic hypersonic missile development was included in the country’s five-year plan, and the first test of the Hwasong-8 was unveiled in September of last year as one of the “highest priority” programs.
On the same day that the UN Security Council met in New York to assess Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs, the North conducted a nuclear test. Ned Price, a spokesman for the US State Department, claimed the launch “violates many UN Security Council resolutions.”
North Korea Has Refused To Engage In Diplomacy, Leading To Hypersonic Testing
Kim Jong-un committed to strengthening North Korea’s defenses at a key party conference last month, but he didn’t mention the United States. It has become increasingly difficult for the United States and North Korea to negotiate, and Pyongyang is under international sanctions for its nuclear and missile programs. There has been a devastating impact on the economy of the poor country due to a self-imposed coronavirus quarantine.
World’s Fastest Hypersonic Missile In North Korea
Hypersonic – A hypersonic missile could travel at speeds up to Mach-5, or five times the speed of sound (3,800 mph). The employment of these strategic weapons can currently prevented by no operational defensive mechanism. This has led to a proliferation of hypersonic missiles being develop by a wide range of governments throughout the world.
The United States is one of the countries that have hypersonic missiles.
- Russia
- Iran
- China
- India
- USA
- North Korea
Several other countries are also capable of developing this technology according to CNBC.
