On March 25, North Korea test-fired two short-range ballistic missiles. Described by state media as “new-type tactical guided projectiles,” the missiles in question appeared to be the same, unidentified short-range ballistic missile system that North Korea showed off at its Jan. 2021 military parade. 

The new system appears to be the fourth new short-range ballistic missile type that has been stewarded by Ri Pyong Chol, vice chair of the Central Military Commission and trusted confidant of leader Kim Jong Un. The new system appears to be a single-stage, unitary solid-fuel ballistic missile.

According to North Korea’s