North Korea launches new ballistic missile with 'super-large' warhead

KCNA news agency reported today, September 19, that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "supervised the tests" of "a new type of tactical ballistic missile Hwasongpho-11-Da-4.5 and an improved strategic cruise missile."

"The new-type tactical ballistic rocket is designed to be equipped with a super-large conventional warhead weighing 4.5 tons," KCNA said. North Korea "also conducted a test of a strategic cruise missile whose performance has been upgraded to a high level for combat use," KCNA said.

This photo taken on September 18 and released by KCNA on September 19 shows a missile launch in North Korea.

Earlier, the South Korean military described North Korea's September 18 missile launch as a series of short-range ballistic missiles that they estimated flew about 400 kilometers east of the Korean Peninsula.

Also according to KCNA, the new missile test "aimed at verifying the precision of the attack at a distance of 320 km and the destructive power of the super-large warhead". Mr. Kim assessed that such a test was necessary "for the national security environment" of North Korea.

"The military and political situation in the region... shows that the work of enhancing military capabilities for self-defense must be the most important issue," Mr. Kim stressed.

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North Korea has criticized joint military exercises by South Korea and the United States, including large-scale ones conducted this summer, as preparations for war on the Korean peninsula.

Meanwhile, the US and South Korea said the exercises were defensive in nature and aimed at maintaining readiness against any North Korean aggression, according to Reuters.

North Korea is preparing for a parliamentary meeting in October that is expected to pass measures that could escalate tensions with South Korea, including enshrining hostile relations between the two Koreas in its constitution, according to AFP.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trieu-tien-phong-ten-lua-dan-dao-moi-mang-dau-dan-sieu-lon-185240919100757066.htm