Hwasong-8: What about North Korea’s “hypersonic” missile?

North Korea claimed to have tested a hypersonic skid missile this week, a sophisticated weapon that is faster and harder to intercept by defense systems.

Here are some questions and answers about this technology and North Korea’s military capabilities.

What is a hypersonic missile?

a hypersonic missile It is capable of reaching speeds up to five times that of sound (Mach 5), more than 6,100 kilometers per hour.

In addition to their speed, they can maneuver mid-flight, making it more difficult to detect and intercept.

By cutting the flight time, they also reduce the response margin.

Depending on the design, they can be loaded with nuclear or conventional warheads and are capable of upsetting the strategic balance.

Who has them?

Russia is considered the world leader in this technology so far, developing a series of hypersonic weapons that President Vladimir Putin celebrated as “invincible.”

In July, his army successfully tested the Zircon, a hypersonic missile fired from a ship that flies at seven times the speed of sound.

Its arsenal includes the Avangard hypersonic gliders, with a speed of up to 33,000 kilometers per hour according to Russian officials, and the Kinzhal missiles fired from the air.

Other countries try to match them. Washington is investing billions in different programs and this week claimed to have tested an air-launched missile that reached a speed “greater than Mach 5.”

China has also tried this technology, according to the US Congressional Research Service, which claims that the Russian and Chinese systems are designed to carry nuclear weapons.

What exactly does North Korea have?

Few details of its missile, the Hwasong-8, have been released.

The official KCNA agency assured that the test “confirmed the missile’s navigation control and stability”, “its guided maneuverability and the sliding flight characteristics of the warhead” and of the engine.

It did not report the speed reached, but indicated that it had a fuel system that would avoid the need for refueling at the launch site.

Ordinary missiles cannot be transported with their propellant on board because its volatility makes it too dangerous. They must refuel before launch, giving the enemy time to locate and destroy them.

Is there independent confirmation?

Seoul has not confirmed what type of missile it is.

South Korea, as well as its US allies, have North Korea’s extensive radar and surveillance system.

The South Korean military usually detects and announces missile fire within minutes of it.

This happened on Tuesday but, unlike on other occasions, he was unable to specify the maximum altitude or flight distance.

Local media citing anonymous sources assured that it had reached about 60 kilometers in height and traveled less than 200 kilometers, but did not detail its speed, the crucial variable.

In a statement, the South Korean army said the missile was “in an early stage of development and will take considerable time to be deployed,” adding that both its army and the US were “capable of detecting and intercepting it.”

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency suggested, without citing sources, that it could have reached three times the speed of sound.

What changes does it entail?

Some experts point out that hypersonic weapons carry only a limited advantage, and a Scientific American article last month stated that “they are in no way revolutionary.”

But if Pyongyang succeeds in fully developing hypersonic technology, “it will pose a significant military threat,” said Cheong Seong-Chang, director of the North Korea Study Center at the Sejong Institute (South Korea).

“It is reasonable to assume that the North is developing this missile with the United States in mind,” he told AFP, adding that this could be used as a bargaining chip in future negotiations with Washington.

Tuesday’s projectile was short-range, but the nuclear-armed communist regime will try to develop medium- and long-range capabilities, he added.

“If they develop a long-range one, there is no country on the planet, including the United States, that can intercept such a high-speed missile,” he warned.

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