North Korea conducted its first known missile test of the new year on Sunday, firing what it called a solid-propellant “hypersonic” missile hundreds of miles into the sea. 

The Rodong Sinmun described the launch as a flight test of an “intermediate-range hypersonic maneuverable controlled warhead,” but the system is more accurately described as a maneuverable reentry vehicle (MARV).

While a responsive and precise MARV capability would provide North Korea with a high degree of missile defense penetrability, the development of this particular system is probably also motivated by what appears to be a bureaucratic predilection