North Korea launched an anti-aircraft missile | It is hypersonic and very difficult to detect

North Korea announces successful launch of new anti-aircraft missile. The advance of the Pyongyang arms race was rejected by Washington, which accused the Asian country of growing instability. While the United States, France and the United Kingdom called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, albeit after an hour of negotiations did not come to an agreement to issue a joint statement

Anti-aircraft missiles

North Korea’s state-run news agency (KCNA) said that the new technology anti-aircraft missile featured dual rudder controls and had “outstanding combat performance”. In September, Pyongyang launched what it claimed was a long-range cruise missile. Earlier this week, he also tested a missile he described as a hypersonic glider vehicle. According to the South Korean military, it appeared to be in the early stages of its development. Although the Southern Defense Ministry said it could not confirm the latest launch.

The KCNA did not name the new missile, or provide details of where the test was carried out, although it did confirm the effectiveness of the test of the new projectile. “Of great practical importance for the study and development of various future anti-aircraft missile systems”. Kim Jong-un did not attend the test, although Pak Jong-chon, one of the five members of the party’s governing body, did.

Security Council meeting

While the meeting held this Friday by the UN Security Council on North Korea ended after an hour of closed-door deliberations during which they could not agree on a joint statement. France, which has convened the emergency meeting with the United States and the United Kingdom, called for the Council to issue a joint declaration. However, Russia and China say they need more time, as confirmed by a diplomatic source. Initially, the summit was supposed to be held on Thursday, but the Kremlin and Beijing opposed it and asked for more time to analyze the situation.

During the discussion, China has criticized the fact that the new UK-Australia-US Security Alliance (AUKUS) that will equip the ocean country with nuclear-powered submarines poses a threat to the Asia region. Peaceful, according to diplomatic sources. But IThe US and UK delegations replied that this security agreement was unrelated to North Korea.

“Little trick”

Instead, the North Korean leader was in Pyongyang where he delivered a speech to the Supreme People’s Assembly (parliament). Kim Jong-un has rejected talks with the United States and said he will restore telematics communication with the South in the coming days. Kim said Washington’s repeated offers for talks without preconditions were a “Petty trick” and singled out Joe Biden’s presidency for continuing the “hostile policies” of previous administrations. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, aimed at North Korea after the latest missile tests in the Asian country and he said they created “greater prospects of instability and insecurity”.

“We are concerned about these repeated violations of Security Council resolutions which create greater prospects of instability and insecurity.Blinken told the media. In turn, the foreign minister said he could not confirm whether North Korea had tested a hypersonic slider missile, a projectile designed to travel at a speed five times the speed of sound. “We are evaluating the launches”, Blinken said, “to understand exactly what they did, what technology they used.”

North Korea and the United States

The dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington has been suspended since the second summit between then-President Donald Trump and Kim in Hanoi in 2019. The meeting focused on easing sanctions against the Asian country and what North Korea would be willing to give back, depending on the failed encounter. Trump refused to lift sanctions in exchange for nuclear disarmament proposed by Kim.

Instead, the United States and South Korea are security allies: The North American country has 28,500 of its troops deployed to protect Seoul from its neighbor. In August, ahead of North Korea’s missile tests, the United States and South Korea conducted joint exercises.

Hypersonic missile

A hypersonic missile can reach a speed five times the speed of sound (Mach 5), or more than 6,100 kilometers per hour. In addition, they can maneuver during flight, making it difficult to detect and intercept them. Depending on its design, it can be loaded with nuclear or conventional warheads. Currently, The United States is investing billions of dollars in various programs and in recent days has claimed to have tested an air-launched missile and that it has reached a speed “greater than Mach 5”. However, Russia is leading the way with this type of technology after developing a series of hypersonic weapons. In July, his army tested the Zircon, a ship-launched hypersonic missile that flies at seven times the speed of sound.

Anti-aircraft missiles are much smaller than ballistic missiles that the North is prohibited from developing under United Nations Security Council resolutions, and they are more difficult to detect from a distance. Pyongyang is subject to multiple international sanctions for its weapons programs, which progressed rapidly under Kim, including missiles capable of reaching the entire continental United States.