North Korea has conducted its most important test: experts believe the rocket could carry Pyongyang's largest and most destructive warhead. Tensions rise ahead of US elections and with North Korean soldiers in Ukraine trained by Russia
The air forces of United States y South Korea conducted joint exercises on Thursday, showing a rapid response to the latest launch intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) of North Korea, which set a record for flight time and raised new concerns about the advance of the regime's weapons program.
The military exercise, which included F-16 fighters y KF-16 from both countries flying in formation over the Korean peninsula, It came just hours after Pyongyang launched what officials believe could be a new type of solid-fuel ICBM..
According to data collected by Tokyo and Seoul, the missile flew for 87 minutes —the longest recorded flight for a North Korean missile—and reached a maximum height of 7.000 kilometers before falling into waters north of Japan, approximately 1.000 kilometers from its launch point.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that the missile followed a parabolic trajectory, a near-vertical angle that allows for testing capabilities without flying over neighboring territories. Experts suggest that such tests could be used to examine whether a missile can carry heavier warheads.
South Korean military spokesman Lee Sung Joon revealed that the North Korean missile could have been launched from a 12-axle launch vehicle, the North's largest mobile launch platform. The unveiling of this new launch vehicle in September had sparked speculation about the development of a larger ICBM than existing ones.
the north korean leader Kim Jong-un, who personally oversaw the launch, called the test an “appropriate military measure.” which demonstrates the “counterattack determination” in response to what it considers threats from its adversaries. Through a statement released by the state agency KCNA, Kim reaffirmed that his country “will never change its strategy of developing its nuclear capabilities.”
Experts: “Larger and more destructive warhead”
A missile flying higher and for longer than before means that the its engine thrust has improved. Since North Korea's previous ICBM tests have already shown that they can theoretically reach the US mainland, it is likely that the latest launch was related to aAn effort to examine whether a missile can carry a larger warheadr, according to experts.
Jung Chang Wook, director of the Korean Defense Studies Forum think tank in Seoul, told the agency AP that the missile involved in Thursday's launch could carry North Korea's largest and most destructive warheadHe added that the launch was likely also designed to test other technological aspects that North Korea needs to master to further advance its ICBM program.
Jung further speculated on the possibility that Russian experts have given technological advice on the launching of missiles since the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, visited North Korea to meet Kim in June.
The expert Lee Choon Geun, an honorary researcher at the South Korean Science and Technology Policy Institute, told AP that early results from Thursday's launch suggest Russia may have provided a key propellant component which can increase the thrust of the missile engine. He explained that “Greater thrust allows a missile to carry a larger payload, fly with more stability and hit a target more accurately.”
“There is no reason for North Korea to develop another new one ICBM when it already has several systems with ranges of up to 10.000 to 15.000 kilometers that could reach any location on Earth," he told the AP Kwon Yong Soo, honorary professor at the National Defense University of South Korea.
“North Korea probably thought its rivals might look down on it after it handed over so many military resources to Russia.”, he explained to the American agency Yang Uk, an expert at South Korea's Asan Institute for Policy Studies. "The launch may have been intended as a demonstration to show what it is capable of, independent of troop deployments or other movements."
The use of what appears to be technology solid fuel would represent a significant progress. Unlike liquid-fueled missiles, these can be transported and launched more quickly, making them harder to detect and destroy.
Increased tension
US National Security Council spokesman, Sean Savett, described the launch as “a flagrant violation” of multiple UN Security Council resolutions that “unnecessarily raise tensions and risk destabilizing the security situation in the region.” Savett added that the US will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the US territory and its allies South Korea y Japan.
The launch coincides with a moment of growing international tension. On Wednesday, during a meeting in Washington, the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and its South Korean counterpart Kim Yong-hyun condemned the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia. Austin revealed that North Korean soldiers, equipped with Russian uniforms and equipment, are already near the front lines in Ukraine.
The test also raises concerns about its proximity to the US presidential election on November 5South Korean intelligence services warned on Wednesday that Pyongyang has completed preparations for a new nuclear test, which could increase tensions in the region.
In the last two yearsKim has used the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a window to increase weapons testing and threats, while expanding military cooperation with Moscow. South Korea, the United States and other countries say North Korea has already sent artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to replenish Russia's dwindling arsenals.
Experts say that in addition to Russian nuclear and missile technologies, Kim Jong-un is probably hoping for Russia's help in building a reliable space surveillance system and modernize his country's conventional weapons. Kim is said to likely receive hundreds of millions of dollars from Russia for his soldiers' salaries if they remain stationed in Russia for a year.