N. Korea claims MIRV missile test

June 27, 2024 - North Korea claims it has successfully tested a multiple-warhead missile in the first known launch of a developmental weapon coveted by leader Kim Jong-un to overwhelm U.S. missile defences.

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Pyongyang “successfully conducted the separation and guidance control test of individual mobile warheads on June 26,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, adding that the military accurately guided the “separated mobile warheads to the three coordinate targets.”

“The test is aimed at securing the MIRV capability,” KCNA said, referring to multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle technology -- or the ability to fire multiple warheads on a single intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The missile took off from one of Kim’s mansions east of Pyongyang, a common site for missile tests in recent years.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and U.S. intelligence agencies reported that they detected the test in real-time on Wednesday morning around 05:30 (20:30GMT).

Achieving “MIRV capability is a very important defence technological task and a top priority of the WPK Central Committee,” North Korean military officials reportedly said after the test, adding they will work to “further improve the effectiveness of decoys.”

The development of MIRV technology is complicated. It requires the combination of large missiles, small warheads, accurate guidance, and a complex mechanism for releasing warheads sequentially during flight.