Wednesday, July 12, 2023, it seems that South Korea and Japan were in conflict. The origin of the tension can be presumably related to the North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) missile launch test. However, what makes it unusual is that the intercontinental ballistic missile broke the record for the longest flight in North Korea's ballistic missile launch history.
The missile, which is known to be of the Hwasong-18 type, is said to have been airborne for 74 minutes after it was launched from the area around the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, at 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) on July 12.
Quoted from Space.com, the solid-fuel Hwasong-18 was launched from a mobile platform, and reportedly managed to reach an altitude of 6,000 km, making it the longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile launch conducted by North Korea to date. North Korea fired the Hwasong-18 days after Pyongyang threatened to down a US spy drone that violated its airspace.
From the monitoring of the South Korean air defense system, it is said that the Hwasong-18 landed in the sea between the Korean and Japanese peninsulas. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the missile flew for 74 minutes, setting a record for the longest flight for a North Korean ballistic missile.
Earlier in 2021, North Korea launched a liquid-propellant Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile, and flew for 71 minutes.
The development of solid-fuel ICBMs implies that North Korea can launch long-range attacks in less time, since solid-fuel rockets require less time to prepare for launch than liquid-fueled rockets. Solid-fuel rockets can also be easier to move and therefore more difficult to track.
The United Nations has imposed various sanctions on North Korea in connection with its weapons development program. Nonetheless, the country has stepped up its testing campaigns and capabilities in recent years.
The Hwasong-18 was first launched on April 13, 2023. Of particular interest is the fact that this missile appears to use the giant tube-carrying transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) that we first saw at North Korea's military parade in February 2023.
North Korea has tested its first solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-18. The test marked a major leap in the capabilities of North Korea, which has been perfecting its missile technology since embarking on a rapid iterative test campaign in 2016.
It is not yet known how far the actual launching capability of the Hwasong-18 is, many observers predict that the range of the Hwasong-18 will be no less than 15,000 km, because the previous ballistic missile, the Hwasong-17, has a range of 15,000 km, which can already reach the mainland United States.