N. Korea confirms first test-fire of hypersonic missile

 

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 Pyeongyang confirms to have test-fired a hypersonic missile for the first time.
It claims the projectile can easily neutralize current South Korean and U.S. defense systems.

The hypersonic missile presumed to have been fired by North Korea on Tuesday... is seen by security experts as a "game-changer" since it could easily bypass South Korean and U.S. defense systems.
The hypersonic missile, which was first mentioned by North Korea during the ruling Workers' Party Congress in January... is a new type of strategic weapon.
Compared to inter-continental ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles have unpredictable flight trajectories at low altitudes... and descend towards their target more than five times faster than the speed of sound.
A hypersonic glide vehicle is launched aboard the hypersonic missile before it separates and approaches the target.
The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency confirmed Wednesday... that the regime's Academy of Defense Science conducted its first test-fire of the "Hwasong-eight" missile from Doyang-ri , Jagang-do Province... and confirmed what it called "guiding maneuverability" and "gliding flight characteristics."
It did not release details on the transporter erector launchers, however... which could be used to identify the missile's flight range or maximum altitude.
The KCNA also said the missile has a "fuel ampoule"... referring to a container of liquid fuel.
Unlike conventional missiles that need a fuel injection before firing,... this type can reduce missile launch preparation time... and have the weapon ready for use more quickly.
The "Hwasong-eight" is different from the North's other liquid fuel-based missiles... in that it has four supplementary engines for increased propulsion.... indicating it's intended for intermediate or long-range use.
In a statement released Wednesday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it sees the North's hypersonic missile in its initial development stages based on detected speed and other various factors... and that it would take a long period of time before actual deployment.
The South Korean military has not officially released any details... but the missile reportedly flew at a speed of around Mach three... slower than its usual speed of at least Mach five... which is more than six-thousand kilometer per hour.
Hypersonic missiles are currently developed by few countries including the U.S., China and Russia.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.

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North Korea says it fired new 'hypersonic missile' - BBC News

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