North Korea's greatest missile test to date used an older smaller intercontinental ballistic missile rather than the huge new Hwasong-17 ICBM, according to the South Korean military, in part to avoid a harsh public response to a botched launch.
According to a defense ministry source who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic, South Korean and US officials have decided that the March 24 launch seems to have been a Hwasong-15 ICBM.
North Korea Allegedly Staged a Missile Launch
The Pentagon's spokesman, John Kirby, told reporters on Tuesday that the test was still being assessed, but Washington has yet to officially comment. North Korea first shot the Hwasong-15 in November 2017 after it imposed an ICBM testing ban that ended with this week's launch.
Shadows, weather, and other characteristics suggested the footage and photographs broadcast by North Korean official media following that launch were from a previous test, likely a failed launch on March 16, according to open-source researchers.
The test might also have been carried out to improve the country's military might and strengthen its negotiating position with South Korea, the US, and the rest of the world, according to MSN. Disparities in the video and images of the launch given by North Korea have been pointed out since the material was released, raising questions about whether the launch was staged.
The photographs show Kim Jong Un wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses as he stands next to the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile, according to official media. The test might have been a move to increase North Korea's standing as a military resource and better its negotiating position with the international community, according to the study.
This failed test is thought to have pushed North Korea to create a huge lie and claim that the launch on March 24th was from the Hwasong-17 rather than the Hwasong-15 to boost domestic support.
While authorities from South Korea and the United States confirmed that the Hwasong-17 system was tested on February 27 and March 5, it was speculated that this was in preparation for a later complete launch. The properties of the missile, such as acceleration, combustion, and stage separation timings, are stated to be identical to those of the smaller missile, as per UNILAD.
South Korea Launches Rocket, Sends Spy Satellite in Orbit
Amid escalating tensions with neighboring North Korea, South Korea announced the successful launch of its first solid-fuel rocket on Wednesday, calling it a crucial step toward attaining a space surveillance capacity.
According to photographs supplied by Seoul's Defense Ministry, the South Korean-built solid-propellant rocket ascended into the sky before launching a fake satellite into orbit. Defense Minister Suh Wook and other top officials were present for the liftoff, according to a ministry statement.
Solid-fuel rockets offer shorter launch times, simpler structures, and are less expensive to construct and produce than liquid-fuel rockets. According to the government, South Korea will send a spy satellite into orbit on a solid-fuel rocket soon. South Korea presently lacks its military surveillance satellites and relies on US spy satellites to monitor North Korean vital installations.
In 2020, South Korea received US approval to utilize solid fuel for space launch vehicles, lifting a ban placed by Washington on its important Asian ally because of worries that the technology may lead to larger missiles and a regional arms race. Other remaining constraints were dropped by the US last year, allowing South Korea to create missiles with limitless ranges, ABC News reported.
Related Article : US, South Korea Claim North Korea Faked Test of Dangerous Missile; Expert Reveals Why Kim Jong-un Did It
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