North Korea appears to have tested its second claimed hypersonic missile in less than four months, following Kim Jong Un’s plenum report that called to advance the development of defense capabilities “without a moment’s delay.”

The new missile features several distinct physical characteristics that set it apart from others that North Korea has recently tested, including the design of its maneuvering reentry vehicle (MARV). Unlike the wedge-shaped glider atop the Hwasong-8, the new missile features a conical reentry vehicle with winglets. 

There is some doubt about the extent to which North Korea may