A North Korean missile that was shot over Japan travelled about 4,500 kilometres before colliding with the Atlantic Ocean.
North Korea regularly conducts missile tests as part of its weapons development programme, but this is the first time since 2017 that a missile has been fired over Japan.
types of missiles North Korea has experimented with
North Korea has tested more than 30 missiles this year, some of which are capable of travelling all the way to the United States of America.
Ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic or hypersonic missiles were tested numerous times, all while flying at low altitude and evading radar detection.
It is thought that a medium-range Hwasong-12 missile was the last one fired over Japan. It can go 4,500 km, which is far enough to reach Guam, a US base, from North Korea.
Additionally, North Korea has tested its “Hwasong-14” ballistic missile.
Although some studies claim that it has a range of 10,000 km, which would allow it to reach New York, its range is only 8,000 km. It is North Korea’s first intercontinental ballistic missile.
According to estimates, the “Hwasong-15” missile, the most recent iteration of this weapon, has a range of 14,000 km, which encompasses the whole continent of North America.
North Korea unveiled their most recent ballistic missile, the Hwasong-17, in October 2020. It has a range of at least 15,000 kilometres.
It makes it difficult for a country to defend itself since it can carry three or four warheads rather than just one.
According to experts, North Korea’s latest missiles looked to be a message to the Biden administration about the country’s expanding military might.
North Korea tested what it referred to as a “new model of a tactical guided missile” in March 2021. She said it could support 2.5 tonnes of weight. This indicates that it could conceivably transport a nuclear weapon.
According to analysts at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, the new missile looks to be a “enhanced version” of the KN-23 missile, which has already undergone testing.
Do the North Koreans possess nuclear weapons?
North Korea last conducted a nuclear bomb test in 2017. The test site’s explosive power ranged from 100 to 370 kilotons.
The 1945 American bomb dropped on Hiroshima is six times less powerful than the 100-kiloton weapon.
At the time, North Korea asserted that it was the first thermonuclear bomb—the most potent atomic weapon.
According to Joseph Byrne, a researcher at the British think tank Chatham House, North Korea may now intend to test a less powerful nuclear bomb.
According to Byrne, it looks like they are developing a new weapon system that includes a compact warhead that can be attached to a variety of missiles, including short-range missiles.
What location will the nuclear test be held?
At the Bunge-ri site, six previous subterranean tests were carried out. In 2018, North Korea declared that it would destroy the site after “verifying” its nuclear capability.
In the presence of international media, the authorities detonated some of those tunnels inside the site. However, it did not request the presence of foreign specialists to certify the website’s unusability.
This year’s satellite photographs show that restoration work at the “Bnoguet-Re” site has begun.
Any further testing would be against decisions of the UN Security Council.
resuming nuclear reactor operation
In 2018, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un promised to eliminate all of its nuclear enrichment facilities to then-US President Donald Trump.
However, according to satellite pictures, the reactor that produces weapons-grade plutonium has been reactivated, according to the UN Atomic Energy Agency.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, North Korea’s nuclear programme is operating “at full steam,” including tasks such as uranium enrichment and plutonium separation.
Which missiles is North Korea equipped with?
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