North Korea has test fired a new type of ballistic missile, which it claims to be a Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the K...
North Korea has test fired a new type of ballistic missile, which it claims to be a Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Kusong region, located on western coast of the country.
Dubbed the Hwasong-14, the land based ballistic missile flew for 39 minutes and rose to an altitude of 2802 km, covering a horizontal distance of 933 km.
The missile was tested for its maximum attainable altitude and flew over the waters of Korean peninsula. The Hwasong-14 is expected to be the last strategic ballistic missile North Korea plans to develop to complete its deterrence and nuclear strike capabilities.
Missiles with ranges of more than 5,500 km are considered as ICBMs. The U.S. Pacific Command who tracked and detected the launch, earlier classified the missile as an intermediate-range ballistic missile, but later confirmed it to be a new ICBM.
PACOM said the missile was tracked for 37 minutes and it landed in the Sea of Japan in a statement.
Unlike earlier North Korean missiles, the Hwasong-14 is powered by a smokeless solid propellant rocket motor. It is carried on a 16 wheeled Transport Erector vehicle, which does not act as a launcher as in a Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) Vehicle.
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| The 16 wheeled Transporter Erector Vehicle is reportedly based on a Chinese design |
