Media reports: North Korea conducts ballistic missile test featuring a 'super large' warhead
Kim Jong-un's military has conducted a launch of a new short-range missile that is equipped with almost five tons of explosives. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Kim Jong-un stated that further tests are necessary to “contain and frustrate” the US in the region.
North Korean state media reported on Wednesday that the military has successfully test-fired a new variant of its Hwasong-11 ballistic missile, now equipped with a “super-large” warhead. This test was carried out as a response to the “grave threat from external forces,” as per Kim Jong-un's remarks.
The missile test occurred at an undisclosed location along North Korea’s east coast and was personally overseen by Kim, according to the Korea Central News Agency. This upgraded version of the Hwasong-11 short-range ballistic missile is capable of carrying a 4.5-ton conventional warhead.
In service since 2019, the Hwasong-11, which resembles the American ATACMS, can be fired from a mobile launcher and has a maximum range of approximately 410 km. An earlier version capable of carrying a “super-large” warhead was tested in July; however, this latest test marks the first instance of such a warhead being attached to the missile.
“Such tests and the steady improvement of performance of weapons and equipment through them are directly related to the grave threat from external forces to the state security environment of [North Korea],” KCNA reported Kim as saying.
“Only when we have strong power, can we contain and frustrate the enemies’ strategic misjudgment,” he added, emphasizing the need for ongoing advancements in both nuclear and conventional weaponry.
Additionally, a “strategic cruise missile” was reportedly test-fired on Wednesday, according to KCNA.
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff condemned the missile tests, labeling them a provocation that “seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
These tests occurred less than a month after the US and South Korea concluded large-scale military exercises, which were characterized by Washington and Seoul as defensive. Conversely, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry denounced them as “provocative war drills for aggression.”
Following a brief period of thawing relations during Donald Trump’s presidency, the US and South Korea have ramped up the scale and frequency of military exercises in recent years. In response, Pyongyang has intensified its missile testing activities, launching over 100 ballistic and cruise missiles since 2022.
Although North Korea has not conducted a nuclear weapon test since 2017, Western military analysts have anticipated such a test could occur soon, given developments since 2021. Demonstrating its military capabilities, North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper showcased photographs last week of Kim visiting a uranium enrichment facility, featuring hundreds of visible centrifuges.
In a speech delivered last Monday, celebrating the 76th anniversary of the North Korean state, Kim vowed to “exponentially” expand the nation’s nuclear arsenal to counter “threats perpetrated by the US imperialists” and their “vassal forces.”
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
North Korean state media reported on Wednesday that the military has successfully test-fired a new variant of its Hwasong-11 ballistic missile, now equipped with a “super-large” warhead. This test was carried out as a response to the “grave threat from external forces,” as per Kim Jong-un's remarks.
The missile test occurred at an undisclosed location along North Korea’s east coast and was personally overseen by Kim, according to the Korea Central News Agency. This upgraded version of the Hwasong-11 short-range ballistic missile is capable of carrying a 4.5-ton conventional warhead.
In service since 2019, the Hwasong-11, which resembles the American ATACMS, can be fired from a mobile launcher and has a maximum range of approximately 410 km. An earlier version capable of carrying a “super-large” warhead was tested in July; however, this latest test marks the first instance of such a warhead being attached to the missile.
“Such tests and the steady improvement of performance of weapons and equipment through them are directly related to the grave threat from external forces to the state security environment of [North Korea],” KCNA reported Kim as saying.
“Only when we have strong power, can we contain and frustrate the enemies’ strategic misjudgment,” he added, emphasizing the need for ongoing advancements in both nuclear and conventional weaponry.
Additionally, a “strategic cruise missile” was reportedly test-fired on Wednesday, according to KCNA.
South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff condemned the missile tests, labeling them a provocation that “seriously threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
These tests occurred less than a month after the US and South Korea concluded large-scale military exercises, which were characterized by Washington and Seoul as defensive. Conversely, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry denounced them as “provocative war drills for aggression.”
Following a brief period of thawing relations during Donald Trump’s presidency, the US and South Korea have ramped up the scale and frequency of military exercises in recent years. In response, Pyongyang has intensified its missile testing activities, launching over 100 ballistic and cruise missiles since 2022.
Although North Korea has not conducted a nuclear weapon test since 2017, Western military analysts have anticipated such a test could occur soon, given developments since 2021. Demonstrating its military capabilities, North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper showcased photographs last week of Kim visiting a uranium enrichment facility, featuring hundreds of visible centrifuges.
In a speech delivered last Monday, celebrating the 76th anniversary of the North Korean state, Kim vowed to “exponentially” expand the nation’s nuclear arsenal to counter “threats perpetrated by the US imperialists” and their “vassal forces.”
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
