Noord-Korea's ballistische raketten infographic
Graphic shows ranges on Kim Jong-un’s ballistic missiles.
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MILITARY

Noord-Korea's ballistische raketten

By Duncan Mil

January 18, 2022 - The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Pyongyang fired two tactical guided missiles on Monday, the fourth missile test this month.

“North Korea is trying to lay a trap for the Biden administration. It has queued up missiles that it wants to test anyway and is responding to U.S. pressure with additional provocations in an effort to extort concessions,” said Leif-Eric Easley, an associate professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

After agreeing in 2018 to work toward “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made his nuclear-equipped arsenal bigger, deadlier and capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

The Hwasong-14 became North Korea’s first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) when Kim successfully tested it in July 2017. The rocket could travel up to 10,000km depending on payload, placing Australia, Europe, Canada and the United States within range.

Four months later, Kim tested a second ICBM known as the Hwasong-15. This missile could deliver multiple nuclear warheads payload that could overwhelm U.S. defences or a single, high-yield weapon.

KCNA has also reported that Kim conducted a second successful test of a new hypersonic vehicle on January 5. North Korea’s first hypersonic missile test, capable of carrying a warhead that can glide at more than five times the speed of sound, occurred in September 2021, aboard a Hwasong 8 booster.

North Korea said the Hwasong 8 used a “missile fuel ampoule” system. The liquid fuel and oxidizer tanks are pre-filled at the factory.

North Korea’s BM-25 Musudan (Hwasong-10) intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), Hwasong-12 IRBM and Hwasong-14 and -15 ICBMs also use ampoule systems.

The latest launches have drawn condemnation from the Biden administration, which has imposed new sanctions over North Korean missile launches and is pushing for more.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 18/01/2022; STORY: Graphic News
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