Translation result
North Korea said it successfully test-fired a short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missile equipped with a cluster warhead.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on April 20 that “the Missile General Bureau conducted a test launch on the 19th to evaluate the warhead power of the upgraded ground-to-ground tactical ballistic missile ‘Hwasongpho-11Ra.’” KCNA said Kim Jong Un observed the launch in person with his daughter Ju Ae.
KCNA said the test aimed to “confirm the characteristics and destructive power of a scatter warhead (cluster warhead) and a fragmentation-mine warhead applied to tactical ballistic missiles.”
The Hwasongpho-11 corresponds to the KN-23, often described as North Korea’s version of the Iskander. The missiles fired in the test appear to have been fitted with a cluster warhead (cluster bomb) and a fragmentation-mine warhead. Those warheads maximize lethality by dispersing submunitions (bomblets) or metal fragments.
KCNA claimed the five tactical ballistic missiles, fired at a target area centered on an island on the 136 km line (about 84.5 miles), struck a densely packed area of roughly 30.9–32.1 acres (12.5–13 hectares).
KCNA reported that Kim expressed strong satisfaction with the results, saying, “With the development and introduction of scatter warheads for different purposes, our military can meet operational needs more fully and efficiently. Increasing high-density suppression strike capability against specific target areas, along with high-precision strike capability, carries great significance for military action.”
He also hailed the outcome as “a valuable result that clearly shows the time and effort—organizing a specialized missile warhead research group and dedicating five years—were not wasted.”
Attendees at the test launch included Kim Jeong-sik, first deputy department head of the Party Central Committee; Jang Chang-ha, director of the Missile General Bureau; An Young-hwan, commander of the 1st Corps of the Korean People’s Army; Joo Sung-nam, commander of the 2nd Corps; Jeong Myung-nam, commander of the 4th Corps; and Ri Jeong-guk, commander of the 4th Corps.
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