State media reported on Friday that North Korea had tested a “high-thrust solid-fuel motor.” The isolated nation’s efforts to develop a new strategic weapon and accelerate its nuclear and missile programs continue.
The official KCNA news agency reported that the test, which was overseen by Kim Jong Un, took place on Thursday at North Korea’s Sohae Satellite Launching Ground.
The motor’s dependability and stability were demonstrated during the static firing test, which, according to KCNA, provided a “guarantee for the development of another new-type strategic weapon system.”
Given the thrust of the engine, which North Korea claimed was “the first of its kind” in the country, experts believe the test appears to have been conducted with the intention of developing a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The nation has been constructing additional solid-fuel missiles, which are more stable and can be launched almost immediately without prior notice or preparation.
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Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, told Al Jazeera, “Pyongyang’s claim of testing a solid-fuel motor for longer range ballistic missiles supports its more aggressive, recently declared doctrine of using nuclear weapons if the Kim leadership or strategic assets come under threat.” The technology would make North Korea’s nuclear forces more adaptable, adaptable, and dangerous once deployed.
However, Easley warned that moving from a solid-fuel motor ground test to operational, accurate, and dependable missiles would require overcoming numerous technical hurdles, and that the nation’s state media might exaggerate the nation’s weapons capabilities and deployment times.
A view of a test using a “high-thrust solid-fuel motor.” On a hillside, a device is spewing smoke and flames. The sea and a small island can be seen in the background. It appears cold.
Unprecedented tests
One of North Korea’s five military objectives presented at its crucial party meeting last year was the development of a solid-fuel ICBM.
According to KCNA, Kim expressed “expectation that another new-type strategic weapon would be made in the shortest span of time” after overseeing the test and stating that “another important problem in carrying out the five priority tasks” had been successfully resolved.
Despite international bans and sanctions, North Korea has carried out an unprecedented number of missile tests this year, including the development of an ICBM capable of reaching the US mainland.
Kim called for the expansion of the Sohae facility, which has been used to test a variety of missile technologies, including static rocket engines and space launch vehicles, when he visited the location in March.
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Commercial satellite imagery showed the construction of what appeared to be a horizontal engine test stand, according to a new report from the US-based Center for International and Strategic Studies (CSIS), calling it the “first of its kind” at the Sohae station.
The most recent test occurred while the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, was in Seoul to meet with officials from South Korea and promised to do everything in his power to halt North Korea’s nuclear program.
Yoon Suk-yeol, the president of South Korea, met with Grossi and expressed concerns about North Korea’s “race” to advance its nuclear and missile programs. He also asked the United Nations agency to work with him to prevent Pyongyang from launching any more provocations.
North Korea’s preparations for a potential nuclear test, which would be the nation’s first since 2017, have been concluded, according to officials from South Korea and the United States.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA, REUTERS
