North Korea debuts next stage in topsy-turvy development of solid-fuel missiles



Analysis North Korea debuts next stage in topsy-turvy development of solid-fuel missiles Tests of new intermediate-range missile engines follow solid-fuel ICBM success and lay groundwork for flight testing Ankit Panda November 15, 2023 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON A new solid-fuel IRBM motor being fired from a horizontal stand at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in the country’s northwest \| Image: KCNA (Nov. 15, 2023) After months of relative silence about missile development activities, North Korea announced on Wednesday that it carried out two separate tests of solid-fuel motors for “new-type intermediate-range ballistic missiles” (IRBM). State media claimed that a test of a new first-stage motor took place on Nov. 11 and that a test of a second-stage motor took place on Nov. 14. Both tests were reportedly successes, with the Rodong Sinmun releasing one image of each. Notably, the tests took place at different sites: one at the long-standing solid-propellant engine test stand at Magunpho, and another at the newer facility Read More © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01North Korea starts new project at large-scale military training base 02How North Korea could leverage China’s DeepSeek AI model for military, cyber ops 03North Korea lets slip where special forces trained before Russia deployment 04Trump’s first-week overtures on North Korea are unlikely to entice Kim Jong Un 05In changing world, North Korea has little to gain from pro-regime sympathizers 06Why North Korea’s top military official may have been quietly demoted once again 07Where North Korea ranks in Trump’s foreign policy priorities for term two 08Why guidance systems are the Achilles’ heel of North Korea’s missile arsenal

Analysis

North Korea debuts next stage in topsy-turvy development of solid-fuel missiles

Tests of new intermediate-range missile engines follow solid-fuel ICBM success and lay groundwork for flight testing

Ankit Panda November 15, 2023

North Korea debuts next stage in topsy-turvy development of solid-fuel missiles

A new solid-fuel IRBM motor being fired from a horizontal stand at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in the country’s northwest | Image: KCNA (Nov. 15, 2023)

After months of relative silence about missile development activities, North Korea announced on Wednesday that it carried out two separate tests of solid-fuel motors for “new-type intermediate-range ballistic missiles” (IRBM).

State media claimed that a test of a new first-stage motor took place on Nov. 11 and that a test of a second-stage motor took place on Nov. 14. Both tests were reportedly successes, with the Rodong Sinmun releasing one image of each.

Notably, the tests took place at different sites: one at the long-standing solid-propellant engine test stand at Magunpho, and another at the newer facility

North Korea debuts next stage in topsy-turvy development of solid-fuel missiles

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Ankit Panda