ANALYSIS – Real threat or North Korean hype? The “hermit kingdom” says it has successfully test-fired a new intermediate-range hypersonic missile. The solid-fuel Hwasong-16B can be deployed more quickly than liquid-fuel variants.
The North appears to be moving away from less reliable and more vulnerable liquid-fueled rocket designs.
Will this beast carry a nuke warhead?
North Korean authorities released imagery and videos of the Hwasong-16B along with an official release a day after the launch. The country's leader, Kim Jong-un, attended the launch near Pyongyang; other senior officials were also present.
As The War Zone reported:
The 14-wheel transport-erector-launcher (TEL) for the missile, called the Hwasongpho-16B, also has a clamshell section at the front that keeps the boost-glide vehicle, which is otherwise exposed, protected prior to launch. And yes, it is one sinister-looking concoction.
The official North Korean statement says that the missile “reached its first peak at the height of just over 62.8 miles and the second at close to 45 miles while making a 620-mile flight as scheduled to accurately hit the waters of the East Sea of Korea – also known as the Sea of Japan.”
North Korea claims the Hwasong-16B test has two peak altitudes aligning with hypersonic boost-glide vehicles' operation. After release, the boost-glide vehicle travels to its target along a relatively shallow atmospheric flight path at hypersonic speeds, generally above Mach 5 (3,800 miles per hour).
The War Zone added that:
Though The War Zone cannot independently verify North Korea's claims, the description of the Hwasongpho-16B test having two peak altitudes is in line with how weapons like this are designed to function. Hypersonic boost-glide vehicles are unpowered and rocket boosters are used to get them to a desired altitude and speed before they are released.
The outlet noted that the recent test allegedly:
… demonstrated the boost-glide vehicle's ability to conduct “gliding-skip” maneuvers and to rapidly change direction. Also known as a “porpoise” trajectory, skip-gliding typically involves at least one pull-up maneuver to create one or more downward “steps” as the vehicle heads toward its target. This is a capability that more traditional ballistic missiles with detachable maneuverable re-entry vehicles (MaRV) have to varying degrees, too.
The Hwasongpho-16B is also described as having “military strategic value,” phrasing that authorities in North Korea have used in the past to describe nuclear-capable systems. However, there is no specific mention of exactly what kind of warhead could be fitted inside the boost-glide vehicle. It could potentially be envisioned as a dual-role system, with conventional and nuclear warhead types being accommodated. Still, a nuclear warhead would likely be the priority for a North Korean system like this.
Earlier, Kim reportedly oversaw a solid-fuel engine test on March 19 in preparation for this week's launch.
While the designs are distinct, the Hwasongpho-16B has a number of outward similarities to the Chinese road-mobile DF-17 and its TEL. Meanwhile, Russia's silo-launched Avangard hypersonic missile, another weapon tipped with a boost-glide vehicle, might also have a similar configuration.
This may point to extensive cooperation between China, Russia, and North Korea. Though espionage is another potential avenue by which North Korea may have gained the technology.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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