N. Korea' s ' hypersonic missile' likely at early stage of development - Seoul

9/29/2021 5:23:54 AM

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) TOKYO, Sept 29 (KUNA) -- North Korea's newly unveiled "hypersonic missile" appears to be at an early stage of development and can be intercepted by South Korean and US military assets, Seoul's military said Wednesday, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The assessment came hours after the North's official Korean Central News Agency said the country conducted the first test fire of the hypersonic Hwasong-8 missile from Toyang-ri, Jagang Province, on Tuesday.
"Given the detected speed and other features of the 'hypersonic missile' North Korea said it test-fired yesterday, it appears to be at an early stage of development that would require considerable time for actual deployment," the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement.
Hypersonic missiles usually fly at a speed of at least Mach 5, or 6,125 km per hour, and are capable of striking targets from longer ranges within a shorter period of time, giving little time for enemies to respond.
The US, China and Russia are also developing the hypersonic weapon.
"South Korea and the US were monitoring North Korea's test launch under a close coordination," a JCS official said, adding that the military will keep tabs on the North's missile activities and maintain a readiness posture. (pickup previous)
mk.bs

MENAFN29092021000071011013ID1102884489

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.