North Korea is intensifying its intercontinental ballistic missile program. This is what you need to know | CNN

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North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday, just days after Pyongyang threatened to shoot down US military reconnaissance planes flying over nearby waters.

The release follows several other recent tests of North KoreaIntercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which have raised alarm among international observers and experts as the isolated authoritarian nation ramps up its efforts to develop weapons capable of attacking major US cities.

Pyongyang tried the Hwasong-17 in Marchand the most powerful Hwasong-18 in April – which leader Kim Jong Un said at the time would provide the country with a “powerful means of strategic attack” and increase its nuclear capabilities.

It is not yet clear what type of missile was tested on Wednesday. The intercontinental ballistic missile flew about 1,000 kilometers and stayed airborne for 74 minutes, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry, a marginal advance over ballistic missiles it tested earlier this year.

Here’s what we know about the ICBMs in North Korea’s arsenal.

The Hwasong-17 is a liquid fuel ICBM introduced in 2022, when North Korea conducted its first long-range missile test in more than four years. Liquid fuel technology is comparatively easier to master.

Meanwhile, the Hwasong-18 is a solid-fuel missile, according to Pyongyang, which makes it much more advanced and would allow North Korea to launch long-range nuclear strikes more quickly.

Solid-fueled ICBMs are more stable and can be moved more easily to avoid detection before a launch that can begin in a matter of minutes, experts say, compared to liquid-fueled missiles that can take hours before launch. release, giving opponents time. to detect and neutralize the weapon.

North Korea’s advance from the Hwasong-17 last year to the Hwasong-18 this year suggests its missile program is making progress, experts say, reflecting Kim’s goal of matching the military capabilities of other nations such as the United States. or European countries.

ICBMs could, theoretically at least, put the entire continental US within range of a North Korean nuclear warhead, but there are many unknowns about the missile’s ability to deliver a nuclear payload on the target.

Previous tests have shown the possible range of North Korea’s missiles: tests in March and April they all traveled about 1,000 kilometers (621 mi). And last year’s Hwasong-17 test flew 1,090 kilometers (681 miles), lasting 68 minutes before landing at sea.

The latest missile’s 74-minute flight time is a few minutes longer than those tested in March and April.

It is not clear what kind of payloads were involved in these tests. Payload weight affects how far a missile can fly, so without this information, observers cannot know for sure the actual range of the missile.

Another question is whether a North Korean nuclear warhead could survive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

ICBMs are fired into space, where they accelerate out of Earth’s atmosphere before their payloads go through a fierce re-entry process, like a space shuttle or space capsule, before dropping on their targets.

If the re-entry process is not executed with pinpoint precision and with materials that can withstand the immense heat generated, the warhead will burn out before reaching its target. The angle at which the warhead re-enters the atmosphere can make the process difficult.

Kim has laid out an ambitious plan to give North Korea a credible nuclear deterrent, which means an arsenal powerful enough to prevent any adversary, especially the United States, from attacking.

Experts have said the leader has laid out a long list of weapons upgrades in recent years that he is now working on, with ICBMs being just one of those items. Other goals may include launching a military satellite or putting a nuclear-powered submarine into the sea.

Previously, North Korea has announced plans to improve the accuracy of its missiles and increase the range to 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles).

These ambitions were made clear last year when Kim increased dramatically the frequency and intensity of weapons testing, which has decreased slightly this year, but remains at much higher levels than in previous years.

The country fired more missiles in 2022 than in any other year on record; at one point it launched 23 missiles in a single day.

These tests also refocused attention on North Korea’s nuclear targets, with Kim vowing to develop his nuclear forces at the “highest possible” speed last year. US and international observers began warning last year that an underground nuclear test could be imminent, after satellite images showed new activity at North Korea’s nuclear test site. Such a test would be the country’s first since 2017.

Wednesday’s test drew condemnation from neighboring countries.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, currently at the NATO summit in Lithuania, said he would call for “strong international solidarity” among the bloc’s members in response to the launch. On Wednesday morning, he chaired an emergency meeting of the Lithuanian National Security Council.

US and South Korean officials met shortly after the test to share information, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Both countries are considering the launch.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit, called the missile launch “unacceptable” and a threat to regional stability and the international community.

The Japanese chief cabinet secretary lodged a protest against North Korea through embassy channels in Beijing.