North Korea tests again ICBM with differents warheads and ranges.

North Korea successfully conducted a test launch of a new tactical ballistic missile equipped with a warhead, according to a report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on July 2nd. This marks the fourth missile launch in less than three weeks.
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North Korean Heavy warhead test (Picture source: KCNA)

The missile, named "Hwasong-11Da-4.5," is fitted with a super-large warhead weighing 4.5 tons and was launched by the General Missile Bureau of the Pyongyang regime.

KCNA, the North Korean news agency, stated that the purpose of the test was to verify the flight stability and strike accuracy at a maximum range of 500 kilometers and a minimum range of 90 kilometers. This is the first time North Korea has publicly disclosed the launch of a tactical ballistic missile with such a significant military payload.

What do we know?

Pyongyang stated that the test, named Hwasongpho-11 Da-4.5, was conducted with a simulated heavy warhead to verify flight stability and accuracy. The report did not specify the nature of the simulated warhead.

This event occurred a day after South Korea reported the launch of two ballistic missiles by Pyongyang, adding that the second missile exploded above land shortly after launch.

Ballistic missiles, depending on their design, can carry conventional explosives as well as chemical, biological, or nuclear munitions.

The UN prohibits North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, and North Korea faces several sanctions for enhancing its nuclear capabilities. The North Korean military is expected to conduct another launch of the same type of missile in July to test the "explosive power" of the very large warhead, KCNA reported. This is a rare disclosure of a planned missile launch.

How did South Korea react?

The North Korean report on the missile test was likely "deceptive," said Colonel Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul, during a briefing.

"It is extremely rare to conduct a test launch inland, and it is highly likely that the success of the launch is falsely claimed," he stated.

The South Korean military conducted artillery exercises less than 5 kilometers from the military demarcation line in the demilitarized zone along its border with the North, a military official said during the briefing.

These exercises resumed after the North launched hundreds of balloons carrying waste into South Korea, leading to the suspension of a military pact signed with Pyongyang. South Korea is increasingly concerned about the warming relations between North Korea and Russia.

Additionally, North Korea is suspected of supplying ballistic missiles and artillery shells to Russia—an allegation both countries deny despite their promises of military cooperation and a mutual military support pact.