North Korea says it successfully launched a multi-warhead missile on Wednesday, Seoul says the projectile exploded in flight

North Korea says it successfully test-fired a multiple-warhead missile on Wednesday June 26, according to the North Korean state agency KCNA. The Pyongyang regime “successfully conducted a test of separation and control of individual mobile warheads on June 26”the agency said on Thursday, specifying that “separate warheads hit three coordinated targets”.

According to KCNA, this launch aimed to test the Mirv (“Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle Technology”) capability, that is to say the ability to fire several independent warheads using a single ballistic missile.

South Korea’s military announced Wednesday that North Korea had test-fired what appeared to be a hypersonic missile, but the projectile exploded in mid-air after traveling about 250 kilometers above the the Sea of ​​Japan.

According to the South Korean general staff, it could be a solid propellant missile, which would have encountered combustion problems because it was emitting more smoke than usual.

According to KCNA, the trial “was carried out using the first stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile within a range of 170 to 200 kilometers”. “The effectiveness of a decoy separate from the missile was also verified by anti-aircraft radar”said the agency.

North Korean innovations

North Korea has long sought to master more advanced hypersonic and solid-fuel technologies to make its missiles better able to neutralize the missile defense systems of South Korea and the United States, as well as threaten American regional military bases.

With solid fuel missiles, it is not necessary to refuel before launch, which makes their deployment faster, and therefore makes their identification and destruction by the adversary more complex.

Pyongyang has been the subject of a series of United Nations sanctions since its second nuclear test in 2009, but continues to develop its nuclear and weapons programs.

In addition to its missile tests, North Korea has recently innovated its methods to annoy its southern neighbor, sending hundreds of balloons loaded with garbage and excrement across the border almost daily. animals.