Just days after threatening to strike down US military spy planes flying over neighboring waters, North Korea launched what it claimed to be a solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday.
The launch comes after numerous other recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests by North Korea, which have alarmed rivals as the isolated totalitarian state intensifies its quest to acquire weapons capable of potentially targeting major US cities.
Japan’s Defense Ministry Details North Korea’s Recent Missile Launch
According to a White House statement, the launch “risks destabilizing the security situation in the region.
Speaking on the margins of the NATO summit on Wednesday, the prime minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, the leader of Japan, referred to the launch as unacceptable and a danger to both international cooperation and regional stability.
According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang last tested the Hwasong-18, a potent solid-fueled ICBM, in April.
The Hwasong-18, according to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, will give the nation a potent strategic assault capability and increase its Nuclear capability.
The liquid-fueled Hwasong-17 underwent testing in March in Pyongyang.
According to Japan’s Defense Ministry, the ICBM fired on Wednesday traveled around 1,000 kilometers and remained in the air for 74 minutes, a slight improvement over the ballistic missiles Japan tested earlier this year.
Here is all we know about North Korea’s stockpile of ICBMs.
Read more: Japan Extends Order To Destroy North Korean Spy Satellite As North Korea Plans Second Launch Attempt
North Korea’s Advanced Solid-Fueled Intercontinental Missile
In 2022, the year North Korea performed its first long-range missile test in more than four years, the Hwasong-17, a liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile, made its debut. Liquid-fuel technology is less complicated to learn in comparison.
On the other side, Pyongyang claims that the Hwasong-18 is a solid-fueled missile. This makes it substantially more advanced and would allow North Korea to launch nuclear attacks farther away more quickly.
Solid-fueled ICBMs can be launched in a matter of minutes and are more agile and stable, making it simpler to avoid detection before launch.
Read more: North Korea’s Debut Military Surveillance Satellite To Monitor US Exercises