North Korea claims progress in hypersonic missile that can target US territories like Guam military base

North Korea has successfully tested a solid-fuel engine for a new type of intermediate-range hypersonic missile that could potentially hit the US territory of Guam.

According to state media, this marks progress in North Korea’s efforts to develop a more powerful and agile missile capable of hitting far-away targets in the region including Guam, where the US has a military base.

North Korea’s hypersonic missile development

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided the ground test of the solid-fuel engine, state news agency KCNA reported on Wednesday (Mar 20).

The test took place on Tuesday (Mar 19) morning at Sohae satellite launch station near the country’s west coast, said the report.

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The strategic value of the new missile with an intermediate range is as important as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) targeting the US mainland and the “enemies know better about it,” Kim said, as per the state media.

Back in January,North Korea tested an intermediate-range hypersonic missile which it said involved a new solid-fuel engine.

The KCNA did not provide the specifics of the engine tested except to say that it was a “great success”.

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Tuesday’s test would allow the project to proceed under a timetable for completing the development of the new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRMB), state media reported.

Live firedrills of ‘super-large’ rocket launchers

The developments come a day after Kim oversaw a live fire drill of nuclear-capable “super-large” multiple rocket launchers which are designed to target the South Korean capital Seoul.

The live fire drills on Monday (Mar 18) tested the “real war capabilities” of the 600-millimetre multiple rocket launchers and improve the operators’ combat readiness, state media reported.

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North Korea claims to have tested a number of new missiles and weapons since 2022.

Starting late last year, Kim had repeatedly called on the military to ramp up war preparations to counter the US and South Korea.

On Monday, South Korean and Japanese militaries reported that North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was attending a democracy summit in Seoul.

The state media reports about the live firing drills of “super-large” rocket launchers and the progress in the development of a new hypersonic IRMB come days after the US and South Korea concluded their large-scale annual joint military drills.

(With inputs from agencies)