According to KCNA, the test used the first-stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile within a 170-200 km radius.
Seoul: North Korea announced on Thursday through its state-run KCNA news agency that it had successfully tested its capability to launch multiple-warhead missiles. According to the report, Pyongyang conducted a test involving the separation and guidance control of individual mobile warheads on Wednesday.
KCNA stated that these warheads were accurately guided to three different target coordinates, marking a significant step toward achieving Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. This capability allows a single ballistic missile to deliver multiple warheads to separate targets.
The announcement followed a report from South Korea’s military a day earlier, which noted that North Korea had test-fired what appeared to be a hypersonic missile on Wednesday. However, the test ended in failure with the missile exploding mid-air after traveling approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) from a launch site near Pyongyang. Both South Korean and US intelligence agencies were conducting further analysis of the incident.
Additionally, Japan confirmed the launch, reporting that the missile had landed in the Sea of Japan (East Sea). According to KCNA, the test utilized the first-stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile within a specified radius. The effectiveness of decoys separated from the missile was also verified through anti-air radar during the test.
In response to North Korea’s actions, South Korea suspended a tension-reducing military agreement and resumed propaganda broadcasts via loudspeakers along the border. South Korea’s Marine Corps also resumed live-fire exercises near the western inter-Korean border, marking the first such drills since the suspension of a 2018 military deal earlier this month. Joint air drills involving approximately 30 aircraft, including US F-22 Raptor stealth fighters, were conducted with South Korea and the US, with Japan’s participation anticipated later in the month. These exercises, aimed at countering North Korean threats, have drawn criticism from Pyongyang, which routinely views them as preparations for invasion.
