(Bloomberg) — North Korea said it tested a new type of solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile that could deliver multiple nuclear warheads to the US mainland, which would increase its ability to deliver an atomic strike.
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“A powerful new missile, the ‘Hwasong-18’ intercontinental ballistic missile, which serves as a crucial part of the nation’s strategic military power, was tested,” the state’s official Korean Central News Agency said Friday. The missile is designed to serve as a key element of the country’s strategic nuclear deterrent against “potential invasion of enemy forces,” it added.
Kim Jong Un’s regime fired off a suspected ICBM on Thursday that landed off of Japan’s main island of Hokkaido. The latest test served a reminder of a bevy of weapons Kim’s regime has rolled out in recent months to deliver a nuclear strike as it refuses to engage in disarmament-for-aid talks that have been stalled for years.
At a military parade in February, North Korea rolled five canisters for an apparent new solid-fuel ICBM through the streets of Pyongyang, showing off a future weapon that would be easier to deploy and quicker to fire off than its current arsenal of liquid-fuel ICBMs.
Read: North Korea’s ICBM Prompts Brief Warning in Japan to Shelter (3)
Kim, who oversaw the latest test, emphasized the importance of military capabilities, “to confront any threats,” KCNA said.
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