North Korea announced on Wednesday that the various missile launches conducted the previous day, were test firings of new missiles aimed at South Korea. It appears that North Korea, which has stated its intention to fortify the border area following its two Koreas measures, is continuously deploying new weapons in forward areas to threaten South Korea.
The Korean Central News Agency reported that the Missile General Bureau and the Defense Science Institute conducted important weapon tests on Tuesday, stating that they tested a newly developed lightweight multi-purpose missile launch system and a multiple-launch tactical cruise missile system as part of the modernization project for artillery and missile capabilities to fulfill the five-year defense development goals.
According to the report, the tests evaluated the power of the special mission warhead and the extended range of the tactical ballistic missile (a short-range or near-range ballistic missile), the performance of the ultra-precision autonomous guidance system of the 240mm guided rocket, and the accuracy of the artificial intelligence (AI) guidance for the tactical cruise missile.
North Korea stated that the tactical cruise missile incorporates an ultra-precision autonomous navigation system and a terrain comparison navigation system, along with an AI terminal guidance function, and that it confirmed the performance of these capabilities during the test launch the previous day. This tactical cruise missile is believed to be making its first appearance.
Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party, also observed the test launch on-site. According to the report, Kim highly praised the results of the test launch, expressing great satisfaction at the introduction of significant high-level defense science technologies into actual weapon tests. In particular, the report noted that he positively assessed the military value of the newly emerged cruise missile.
Since establishing a new five-year defense development plan at the 9th Workers’ Party Congress in February, North Korea has been accelerating the development of new weapon systems. Especially after adding a territorial clause to its constitution during the Supreme People’s Assembly in March, North Korea has deployed new short-range ballistic missiles in the border area, followed by new cruise missiles. This indicates that North Korea is not hiding its strategy to implement a scorched earth policy against South Korea in the initial stages of a potential conflict.
During a military provocation conducted on April 19, North Korea launched ballistic missiles equipped with new warheads such as cluster munitions or air-dropped mines, with the commanders of the front-line corps, including the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th Corps, all in attendance. The cruise missiles launched this time are characterized by their low-altitude flight, making them difficult to detect in advance.
Kim stated that the important weapon system development tests conducted today are a clear signal of the military power renewal and signify significant technological progress in enhancing our military’s combat capability. The firing control systems and automation systems of all launch vehicles have been completely updated to meet modern warfare requirements, enhancing combat applicability. The military’s firepower systems have been perfected with automation, long-range capabilities, and ultra-precision.
He also emphasized that building the most modern and powerful artillery force that no one can match is the top priority in military construction. Possessing destructive power to the extent that opposing forces theoretically cannot survive is a necessary condition for the military operations.
He further stated that such capabilities will instill extreme anxiety and fear in the enemy, and that alone will serve as an important link in deterrence, becoming a responsible exercise, indicating that they will continue to strengthen weapons systems aimed at South Korea.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea launched various projectiles, including close-range ballistic missiles (CRBM), around 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday from the area of Jeongju, North Pyongan Province, toward the West Sea. The military has analyzed that one of the projectiles flew approximately 50 miles.
This provocation marks the first since North Korea launched various short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) in the Sinpo area on April 19, and it is the eighth ballistic missile provocation this year.