North Korea conducted a power test for a “super-large warhead” in a strategic cruise missile and test-fired a new anti-aircraft missile on Apr. 20, reported the official state news agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
“The Missile Administration of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea conducted a power test for the warhead designed for the “Hwasal-1 Ra-3″ strategic cruise missile, and a test-launch of its new anti-aircraft missile, the “Pyoljji-1-2,” in the Yellow Sea on Apr. 19,” KCNA said. The news stated that they “achieved a “certain goal” through the test launch. This is the first instance of a North Korean missile being reported with the name “Pyoljji,” which means “meteor” in Korean. An anti-aircraft missile intercepts enemy aircraft or missiles while a strategic cruise missile is deployed to strike targets while flying at low altitudes, evading enemy interceptors.
“The tests were part of routine activities of the administration and its affiliated defense science institutes aimed at enhancing the tactical and technical capabilities and operations of new weapon systems and had nothing to do with the surrounding situation,” KCNA said.
The news agency released photos of a missile test-firing from a North Korean runway using a transporter erector launcher (TEL) but did not specify the flight distance. Pyongyang conducted a similar test in February, but the missile’s name and test results were not disclosed. Experts suggest that there has been an improvement in the missile’s performance between the two tests.
There have been six strategic cruise missile fires from North Korea so far this year. “Following the detection of multiple missile launches by North Korea towards in the Yellow Sea at about 3:30 p.m. yesterday (Apr. 19), we are analyzing their detailed specifications,” said the Joint Chiefs of Staff, adding, “We are closely monitoring Pyongyang’s provocative signs and military activities while maintaining a firm joint defense posture.”
While North Korea’s ballistic missile launches violate U.N. Security Council sanctions, cruise missile launches do not. The South Korean military does not publicly announce all of North Korea’s cruise missile fires, unlike ballistic missile cases.
