What we know about North Korea’s ICBM programme

On Thursday morning, North Korea launched an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) towards the Sea of Japan, besides known arsenic the East Sea, successful what analysts accidental was the longest formation clip yet for immoderate North Korean missile.

The rocket flew for 86 minutes and astir 1,000km (621 miles) astatine a maximum altitude of 7,000km (4,350 miles) earlier it splashed down disconnected the seashore of Hokkaido, extracurricular Japan’s exclusive economical zone, according to Japan’s Defense Agency.

North Korean authorities media confirmed that an ICBM was launched to pass “rivals” of the country’s almighty capabilities, portion Japan’s Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said the trial could perchance people a “new” benignant of ICBM missile.

Here’s what we cognize astir North Korea’s ICBM programme:

Why did North Korea test-fire an ICBM?

Test launching long-range missiles is an important portion of North Korea’s subject improvement process arsenic person Kim Jong Un acquires a immense arsenal of missiles and atomic weapons that analysts accidental are susceptible of 1 time reaching targets arsenic acold arsenic Japan and the US.

Test-firing ICBMs helps the North refine its weapons systems. It is besides 1 mode North Korea grabs the world’s attraction during cardinal events, Shin Seung-ki, caput of probe connected North Korea’s subject astatine the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses successful Seoul, told the Reuters quality agency.

Shin said the ICBM trial motorboat whitethorn person been intended to amusement that North Korea “will not bow to pressure” arsenic Pyongyang has precocious travel nether unit implicit the reported deployment of an estimated 10,000 North Korean soldiers to assist Russia successful Ukraine.

The trial sends a connection that North Korea volition “respond to spot with strength”, Shin said, and whitethorn besides “seek immoderate power connected the US statesmanlike election”.

Ankit Panda, a North Korea adept and elder expert astatine the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Al Jazeera that North Korea’s person Kim Jong Un whitethorn person respective reasons to test-launch an ICBM astatine this time.

“This trial contributes to Kim Jong Un’s goals of improving the credibility of his atomic deterrent. He conscionable visited an ICBM basal and called for progress, truthful this trial should beryllium seen chiefly done those lenses,” Panda told Al Jazeera.

“Analysts volition beryllium tempted to work this successful the discourse of the upcoming US election, but I wouldn’t beryllium truthful hasty,” Panda said.

Kim Jong Un remains focused connected his “nuclear modernisation and the timing of this trial should not beryllium over-interpreted successful presumption of outer dynamics,” helium added.

What benignant of ICBM is being tested?

Pyongyang past test-fired an ICBM successful December 2023 with the motorboat of its almighty Hwasong-18 missile, marking the 3rd clip North Korea tested the weapon.

The Hwasong-18 flew a reported 1,000 km (621 miles) for 73 minutes astatine an altitude of much than 6,000 km (3,728 miles), according to 38 North, a programme astatine the Stimson Center deliberation vessel successful Washington, DC that monitors North Korea.

ICBMs are designed to alert agelong distances and transportation weapons specified arsenic atomic warheads.

The December rocket was launched astatine a “lofted” trajectory – the aforesaid arsenic Thursday’s test.

North Korean person Kim Jong Un, centre, walks successful beforehand of an intercontinental ballistic rocket successful March, 2022 [File: Korean Central News Agency via Reuters]

“Lofted trajectory” means firing a rocket astir vertically. This allows it to question to a precise precocious altitude but past onshore a abbreviated horizontal region from the motorboat site.

Lofted launches are said to alteration Pyongyang to stitchery information sent backmost from trial missiles to amended recognize the challenges faced erstwhile a long-range warhead re-enters the Earth’s ambiance astatine highly precocious velocity and generates tremendous amounts of heat.

Analysts accidental the Hwasong-18 could perchance alert arsenic acold arsenic 15,000 km (9,320 miles) erstwhile fired successful a non-lofted trajectory.

The Hwasong-18 besides marked a departure from past ICBM models – such arsenic the Hwasong-17 – due to the fact that it was a solid-state substance missile, which is safer and easier to manoeuvre than liquid-propelled missiles.

Solid-fuel missiles bash not request to beryllium fuelled instantly earlier motorboat and are often easier and safer to operate. They necessitate little logistical support, which makes them harder to observe and much survivable than liquid-fuel weapons.

Solid substance is dense and burns rather quickly, generating thrust implicit a abbreviated time, and it tin stay successful retention for an extended play without degrading oregon breaking down – a communal contented with liquid fuel.

North Korean person Kim Jong Un, left, with his girl watching the trial motorboat of a Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic rocket (ICBM) astatine an undisclosed determination successful North Korea successful December, 2023 [KCNA via AFP]

Liquid propellants supply greater propulsive thrust and power, but necessitate much analyzable exertion and person other weight.

The 38 North programme said person Kim Jong Un wants to make a assortment of ICBMs with varying tactical advantages specified arsenic mobility, range, and payload capability.

That includes the Hwasong-17, dubbed the “Monster Missile”, which was archetypal tested successful 2022. It is little mobile but susceptible of carrying a larger payload similar “multi-warhead rockets” and “super-large hydrogen bombs,” according to 38 North.

The Hwasong-15, archetypal tested successful 2017, is reportedly smaller but much mobile.

Why does North Korea privation truthful galore weapons?

North Korea views its weapons cache arsenic a mode of maintaining its nationalist information since its authorities was established successful 1948 with the assistance of the Soviet Union.

Following the extremity of the Korean War successful 1953, Seoul and Pyongyang signed an armistice agreement, but they ne'er signed an authoritative bid pact and Pyongyang sees the US’s adjacent subject relations with South Korea arsenic an existential threat.

In the decades since the armistice that ended the war, North Korea has go progressively isolated nether the enactment of the Kim household – archetypal Kim Il Sung, past his lad Kim Jong Il, and yet his grandson, Kim Jong Un.

North Korea has been processing its atomic programme since the 1980s, which is seen arsenic a mode to some deter an onslaught by a much almighty foe, specified arsenic the US, portion besides helping the Kim household support their robust clasp implicit the country.

While the illness of the Soviet Union was a catastrophe for North Korea, it has renewed its ties with Russia recently.

What are North Korea’s different weapons?

North Korea has carried retired a assortment of rocket launches and atomic tests since 1984, including short- and intermediate-range missiles, low-flying cruise missiles, and submarine-launched missiles, according to the CSIS Missile Defence Project.

North Korea besides has an arsenal of astatine slightest dozens of atomic warheads, but it apt has the materials to physique galore more. Its past atomic trial was carried retired successful 2017, and is reportedly 10 times much almighty than the bombs dropped connected Japan astatine the extremity of World War II.

Some of its known missiles see Scud-based missiles, which are based connected Soviet-era technology, and the medium-range No-Dong ballistic missiles, which person been successful work since the 1990s, according to CSIS.

More recently, it has test-fired the short-range KN-23 and KN-25 ballistic missiles, but it is inactive chartless whether they are afloat operational.

North Korean person Kim Jong Un stands connected the conning operation of a submarine during his inspection of the Korean People’s Army Naval Unit 167 successful this undated photograph released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) successful Pyongyang successful 2014 [KCNA via Reuters]