North Korea says it has tested submarine-launched cruise missiles

Table Of Content

• North Korea says it tested cruise missiles with ‘super-large’ warheads in its latest weapons display
• news Alerts
• North Korea conducts test on new ‘super-large warhead’: State media
• House approves $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan
• North Korea says it has tested submarine-launched cruise missiles

The North on Jan. 14 also tested a new solid-fuel intermediate-range missile, which underscored its efforts to advance its weapons that could target U.S. assets in the Pacific, including the military hub of Guam. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said that the weapon tested on Tuesday was the Hwasal-2 and that the launch did not affect the security of neighbors. Following the second launch, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reiterated his goal of building a nuclear-armed navy to counter what he described as growing external threats. Unlike their ballistic counterparts, the testing of cruise missiles is not banned under current UN sanctions on North Korea. Nuclear-propelled submarines can quietly travel long distances and approach enemy shores to deliver strikes, which would bolster Kim’s declared aim of building a nuclear arsenal that could viably threaten the U.S. mainland.

North Korea says it tested cruise missiles with ‘super-large’ warheads in its latest weapons display

Experts say North Korea is ramping up pressure on its rivals in an election year in South Korea and the United States with a long-term focus of forcing Washington to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and extract security and economic concessions from a position of strength. The US and South Korea have accused the North of providing artillery shells and other equipment to Russia to help extend its warfighting ability in Ukraine. The South Korean and U.S. air forces held joint air drills in Gunsan, South Korea on Friday, where they practiced ways to detect and counter enemy threats.

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Those cruise missile tests followed the Jan. 14 launch of a new solid-fuel intermediate-range missile, which underscored North Korean efforts to advance weapons that could target U.S. assets in the Pacific, including the military hub of Guam. In announcing the development of larger warheads for cruise missiles, North Korea could be trying to emphasize that these missiles are intended to be armed with nuclear weapons. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest in years, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un dialing up his weapons demonstrations, which have included more powerful missiles aimed at the U.S. mainland and U.S. targets in the Pacific. The United States, South Korea and Japan have responded by expanding their combined military training and sharpening their deterrence strategies built around strategic U.S. assets. Experts say cruise missiles present a unique danger in that they can fly low and maneuver, making them potentially very difficult to intercept by air and missile defenses.

North Korea conducts test on new ‘super-large warhead’: State media

North Korea says it has tested 'super-large warhead' during cruise missile drill - UPI News

North Korea says it has tested 'super-large warhead' during cruise missile drill.

Posted: Sat, 20 Apr 2024 17:11:17 GMT [source]

In January, North Korea conducted two tests of a new cruise missile designed to be launched from submarines, which leader Kim Jong Un described as a meaningful step toward his goals of building a nuclear-armed navy. The North also conducted tests of a long-range cruise missile, which it has described as nuclear-capable and can cover ranges of up to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) — potentially putting U.S. military bases in Japan within reach. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said it tested cruise missiles outfitted with new “super-large” warheads as well as a new type of anti-aircraft missile, extending a streak in weapons demonstrations that has rival South Korea worried. "The DPRK Missile Administration has conducted a power test of a super-large warhead designed for 'Hwasal-1 Ra-3' strategic cruise missile", KCNA news agency said this morning, referring to North Korea by an abbreviation for its official name.

The event extended a provocative streak in weapons testing as North Korea continues to raise pressure on the United States and its Asian allies amid a prolonged freeze in diplomacy. The report Saturday by North Korean state media came a day after South Korea’s military said it detected the North launching multiple cruise missiles into waters off its western coast. The North earlier this year tested new cruise missiles designed to be fired from submarines and also long-range cruise missiles with potential range of reaching U.S. military bases in Japan. North Korea has conducted a test on a “super-large warhead” designed for a strategic cruise missile, state media reports, adding that it also launched a new type of anti-aircraft missile.

Pyongyang said the tests were "part of the regular activities" of the country's missile administration and had "nothing to do with the surrounding situation". North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has also been issuing belligerent statements toward South Korea, including a declaration that he would abandon the North’s long-term objective of reconciliation with its war-divided rival and threatening to annihilate the South with nukes if provoked. There’s concern in the South that Kim may up the ante with a direct military provocation, possibly around the disputed western sea boundary between the Koreas that has been the site of deadly naval skirmishes in past years. Since its second nuclear test in 2009, Pyongyang has been under heavy international sanctions, but the development of its nuclear and weapons programmes has continued unabated. Analysts say anti-aircraft missile technology is an area where North Korea could benefit from its deepening military cooperation with Russia, as the two countries align in the face of their separate, intensifying confrontations with the US. In early April, North Korea said it had tested a new medium-to-long-range solid-fuel hypersonic missile, with state media sharing a video of it being launched as leader Kim Jong Un looked on.

North Korea conducts test on new ‘super-large warhead’: State media - Al Jazeera English

North Korea conducts test on new ‘super-large warhead’: State media.

Posted: Sat, 20 Apr 2024 01:30:00 GMT [source]

North Korea says it tested 'super-large' cruise missile warhead and new anti-aircraft missile

The United States and its Asian allies in response have strengthened their combined military exercises and updated their deterrence strategies. North Korean photos of the test showed a low-flying cruise missile striking a target built on a coastal shore, and another projectile soaring into the air after being launched from ground. Analysts say anti-aircraft missile technology is an area where North Korea could benefit from its deepening military cooperation with Russia, as the two countries align in the face of their separate, intensifying confrontations with the U.S. The United States and South Korea have accused North Korea of providing artillery shells and other equipment to Russia to help extend its warfighting in Ukraine. Analysts say anti-aircraft missile technology is an area where North Korea could benefit from its deepening military cooperation with Russia, as the two countries align in the face of their separate, intensifying confrontations with the U.S.

House approves $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

The announcement comes after Russia in March used its United Nations Security Council veto to effectively end UN monitoring of violations of the raft of sanctions on Kim Jong-un's government for its nuclear and weapons programme. The North has previously described the Hwasal-2 as nuclear-capable and that their range is up to 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles), a distance that would include U.S. military bases in Japan. Last year, the North conducted a record number of missile tests in defiance of UN sanctions in place since 2006 and despite warnings from Washington and Seoul.

North Korea says it has tested submarine-launched cruise missiles

They supplement the country’s vast lineup of ballistic missiles, including long-range weapons aimed at the continental United States. North Korea has conducted a test of a “super-large warhead” for its "strategic" cruise missiles as well as a test-firing of a new anti-aircraft missile, state-run media said Saturday, as Pyongyang continues to add new weapons to its growing arsenal. The report by North Korean state media came a day after South Korea’s military detected the North firing multiple cruise missiles into waters off its western coast, the third launch of such weapons this month.

State media said North Korea’s missile administration on Friday conducted a ‘power test’ for the warhead designed for the Hwasal-1 Ra-3 strategic cruise missile and a test-launch of the Pyoljji-1-2 anti-aircraft missile. SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea said Saturday it tested a “super-large” cruise missile warhead and a new anti-aircraft missile in a western coastal area as it expands military capabilities in the face of deepening tensions with the United States and South Korea. SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Saturday it tested a “super-large” cruise missile warhead and a new anti-aircraft missile in a western coastal area as it expands military capabilities in the face of deepening tensions with the United States and South Korea. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Saturday it tested a “super-large” cruise missile warhead and a new anti-aircraft missile in a western coastal area as it expands military capabilities in the face of deepening tensions with the United States and South Korea. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Wednesday fired multiple cruise missiles into the sea in its fifth test of such weapons since January, South Korea’s military said, extending a streak in weapons demonstrations that’s elevating tensions in the region.

In recent months, Kim has emphasized efforts to build a nuclear-armed navy to counter what he portrays as growing threats posed by the United States, South Korea and Japan, which have stepped up their military cooperation in response to his nuclear ambitions. Analysts say anti-aircraft missile technology is an area where North Korea could benefit from its deepening military cooperation with Russia, as the two countries align in the face of their separate, intensifying confrontations with the United States. Photos released by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency showed at least two missiles being fired off launcher trucks at a runway. Ahn Chan-il, a defector-turned-researcher who runs the World Institute for North Korea Studies, told AFP that the test announced this morning appears to involve "a new type of solid fuel, and it seems to be part of the production of exports in response to Russian demand". North Korea also carried out a test launch of a "'Pyoljji-1-2' new-type anti-aircraft missile in the West Sea of Korea", KCNA said, adding that both tests were carried out yesterday afternoon.

Cruise missiles tend to be jet-propelled and fly at a lower altitude than more sophisticated ballistic missiles, making them harder to detect and intercept. United States, South Korea and Japan have been strengthening their combined military exercises and sharpening their nuclear deterrence strategies. North Korea also carried out a test launch on Friday afternoon of a “Pyoljji-1-2”, which state media said was a “new-type anti-aircraft missile”.

North Korea has tested a "super-large warhead" designed for a strategic cruise missile, state media said, the most recent test since UN sanctions monitoring against the nuclear-armed nation was upended last month by Russia. “The DPRK Missile Administration has conducted a power test of a super-large warhead designed for ‘Hwasal-1 Ra-3’ strategic cruise missile”, KCNA news agency reported on Saturday, referring to North Korea by an abbreviation for its official name – Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Since 2021, North Korea has conducted at least 11 rounds of tests of what it described as long-range cruise missiles fired from both land and sea. They supplement the North’s vast lineup of ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles aimed at the continental United States.

Unlike ballistic weapons, North Korea’s cruise missiles are not banned under United Nations sanctions imposed on Pyongyang. The North in early January fired hundreds of artillery rounds for three consecutive days into waters near their disputed western sea border, prompting the South to conduct similar firings in response. The exchange caused no known casualties or damage, but the sea boundary had been the site of several bloody skirmishes and attacks in past years. The launch followed tests on Jan. 24 and Jan. 28 of the Pulhwasal-3-31 cruise missile North Korea says is designed to be fired from submarines. North Korea will continue to "make improvements in the performance of its conventional weapons, as well as its cruise missiles", on top of its nuclear programme, he told AFP. Analysts have warned that North Korea could be testing cruise missiles ahead of sending them to Russia for use in Ukraine, with Washington and Seoul claiming Mr Kim has shipped weapons to Moscow, despite UN sanctions banning any such moves.

It was the latest in a streak of weapons demonstrations by North Korea amid increasing tensions with the United States, South Korea and Japan. The North’s two previous tests of cruise missiles on Jan. 24 and Jan. 28 were of a new weapon called Pulhwasal-3-31, which is designed to be fired from submarines. Following that weapon’s second launch on Sunday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reiterated his goal of building a nuclear-armed navy to counter what he described as growing external threats.

South Korea’s military said the submarine unveiled by North Korea in September, the “Hero Kim Kun Ok,” did not look ready for operational duty and suggested the North was exaggerating its capabilities. Still, it would take considerable time, resources and technological improvements for the heavily sanctioned nation to build a fleet of at least several submarines that could travel quietly and execute attacks reliably, analysts say. Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the South Korean and U.S. militaries were analyzing the launches, including the possibility that the North exaggerated the flight times. One of the potential crisis points is the disputed western sea boundary between the Koreas, which has been the site of several bloody naval skirmishes over the years.