ICBM test aimed at developing multiple warheads
North Korea appears to be racing to increase the nuclear payload capability of a multi-warhead intercontinental ballistic missile, as indicated by its launch on Saturday of an ICBM that a South Korean official said was thought to be a new Hwasong-17.
The launch follows one that failed on November 3, which was also a Hwasong-17 ICBM, according to a South Korean military official. The missile has an estimated range of more than 15,000km, which means it could reach any point in the United States, and it has the capability to carry two to three warheads.
With the goal of possessing nuclear capability that can counter the US, North Korea is believed to be accelerating the development of a multi-warhead ICBM.
North Korea will inevitably intensify its military provocations against Japan, the US and South Korea, which have been promoting co-operation against North Korea.
The distance between the launch point and splashdown point of this missile was about 1000km, and it reached a maximum altitude of about 6000km. It followed a trajectory nearly identical to that of yet another missile launched on March 24.
North Korea stated that the March 24 missile was also a Hwasong-17, but South Korean officials indicated at the time that the missile was a Hwasong-15.
The South Korean military seems to have concluded that the ICBM launched this time was in fact a Hwasong-17 based on the flight angle and timing of the separation of the fuel tanks.
The US and South Korea are analysing the differences from the previous launch.
The missile launched on November 3 failed to fly as intended after its second-stage rocket separation. North Korea is believed to have conducted Saturday’s launch in an effort to correct the previous error.
The South Korean military is hurrying to analyse the subsequent flight details as a secondstage separation of the missile appears to have also taken place on Saturday.
Military experts believe that this will provide important information to determine the technological level and degree of completion of the Hwasong-17.
In developing the Hwasong-17, North Korea is aiming for a multiwarhead ICBM capable of carrying multiple nuclear bombs.
The missile is designed to avoid interception by separating into multiple bombs as it falls, making it more of a threat to defenders.
The Hwasong-17 can carry two or three warheads, according to South Korean media. North Korea launched the Hwasong-15 in November 2017, declaring that it had completed its nuclear arsenal.