North Korea appears to have tested upgraded hypersonic weapon: Analysts
SEOUL: North Korea appears to have tested a hypersonic weapon that could evade missile defences and prove hard to track and intercept, analysts told AFP Wednesday.
North Korea conducted a test of what appears to be an upgraded hypersonic weapon on Sunday, according to analysts. South Korea and Japan condemned the launches, stating they threaten regional peace and security. North Korea claimed it tested a new type of weapon in demonstration of ultra-modern defense technology, but did not identify the weapon specifically.
Analysts believe the weapon is an upgraded version of North Korea's Hwasong-11Ma-1 hypersonic short-range ballistic missile, with a range of 450 to 600 kilometers. The missile is designed to strike military facilities on the Korean peninsula within a very short period of time. Kim Jong Un, North Korea's leader, warned that the weapon's advances would give adversaries an "incurable headache and a very cruel and unavoidable blow."
Despite international sanctions, North Korea remains a nuclear-armed state and has secured critical backing from Russia. The tests may be aimed at upgrading its military capabilities or meeting Russia's wartime demands. Analysts say that while a single successful test does not prove its capabilities, if deployed operationally, the hypersonic weapon would be extremely difficult to defend against due to its maneuverability during its terminal phase.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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