North Korea announced on Tuesday its purported success in testing the Hwasong-16B, a novel intermediate-range solid-fueled ballistic missile equipped with a hypersonic gliding warhead.
The regime’s claim was accompanied by images and footage showcasing what they assert to be an innovative intermediate-range hypersonic weapon, featuring a solid-fuel rocket booster and a distinctive wedge-shaped hypersonic boost-glide vehicle.
The missile’s transport-erector-launcher (TEL), dubbed Hwasongpho-16B, is notably equipped with a protective clamshell section at the front, safeguarding the exposed boost-glide vehicle until launch.
The missile and its payload were tested at sub-maximal trajectory capabilities, with the hypersonic vehicle reaching a flight distance of 1000 km from the launch point. During flight, following separation from the rocket, the warhead executed vertical maneuvers. The apogee height during the initial “jump” reached 101.1 km, while during the second, it measured 72.3 km.
Japan’s defense ministry said the North Korean ballistic missile fell into waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
The latest ballistic missile launch comes 15 days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un guided firing drills involving super-large multiple rocket launchers in the country’s western region.
