Capable to carry a “super large heavy warhead”, as claimed by North Korea, a type of intercontinental ballistic missile that was named the Hwasong-15, was tested successfully by the rogue nation, after which it claimed that it now had the entire United States mainland within its range.
Experts are of the opinion that the claims by the North Korea about having the US mainland within grasp of its missiles are not unfounded as the latest missile flew to a height of 10 times the altitude that the International Space Station is situated and hence has the capability of reaching Washington, D.C., at least theoretically.
“With this system, we can load the heaviest warhead and strike anywhere in the mainland United States,” North Korea’s most famous newsreader, Ri Chun Hee, said in a special live broadcast on state television. “This missile is far more technologically advanced than July’s Hwasong-14. This signifies that our rocket development process has been completed.”
A picture that had a hand-written order to launch the missile and Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader was published on its state television and Ri said that Un had personally given the order for the launch.
The suggestions that the North Korean leader is not conceding in to the Trump administration’s tactic of application of “maximum pressure” and his continued surge to seek ways to achieving his stated goal of being able to hit the United States’ mainland were made clear by Wednesday’s launch which the first for the country in a period of over two months.
The missile had reached a height of 2,800 miles into the atmosphere – the highest ever reached by a North Korean missile. Compare that with the altitude of the International Space Station, situated as about 240 miles over Earth.
The latest launch was expectedly condemned by the U.S. President Trump, and his counterparts in South Korea and Japan and the U.N. secretary general. “We will take care of it,” Trump told reporters at the White House, calling it a “situation we will handle.”
He later tweeted: “After North Korea missile launch, it’s more important than ever to fund our gov’t & military!”, aimed at the Democrats urging them to join Republicans in passing of a spending measure for preventing a government shutdown.
Trump had earlier suggested that diplomatic solutions t the North Korean nuclear problem was past its time and has earlier repeatedly said that he would not be averse to using military options against North Korea on this issue.
The latest North Korean missile flew for 45 minutes and traversed 620 miles from the launch site before falling into Japanese waters, just 130 miles away from the coast of Aomori prefecture, and after reaching a height of about 2,800 miles.
The trajectory of the missile suggests that it had been launched almost straight up on a “lofted trajectory” just like the previous two missiles launched by North Korea.
It appeared to the Pentagon that the missile was indeed an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that the latest missile “went higher, frankly, than any previous shot they’ve taken.” The launch was described as an attempt to construct missiles “that can threaten everywhere in the world”, he said.
David Wright, co-director of the global security program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said that the missile potentially possessed a range of over 8,1000 miles had it been launched on a standard trajectory that is calculated to maximize its reach.
“Such a missile would have more than enough range to reach Washington, D.C.,” Wright said.
(Source:www.washingtonpost.com)
Experts are of the opinion that the claims by the North Korea about having the US mainland within grasp of its missiles are not unfounded as the latest missile flew to a height of 10 times the altitude that the International Space Station is situated and hence has the capability of reaching Washington, D.C., at least theoretically.
“With this system, we can load the heaviest warhead and strike anywhere in the mainland United States,” North Korea’s most famous newsreader, Ri Chun Hee, said in a special live broadcast on state television. “This missile is far more technologically advanced than July’s Hwasong-14. This signifies that our rocket development process has been completed.”
A picture that had a hand-written order to launch the missile and Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader was published on its state television and Ri said that Un had personally given the order for the launch.
The suggestions that the North Korean leader is not conceding in to the Trump administration’s tactic of application of “maximum pressure” and his continued surge to seek ways to achieving his stated goal of being able to hit the United States’ mainland were made clear by Wednesday’s launch which the first for the country in a period of over two months.
The missile had reached a height of 2,800 miles into the atmosphere – the highest ever reached by a North Korean missile. Compare that with the altitude of the International Space Station, situated as about 240 miles over Earth.
The latest launch was expectedly condemned by the U.S. President Trump, and his counterparts in South Korea and Japan and the U.N. secretary general. “We will take care of it,” Trump told reporters at the White House, calling it a “situation we will handle.”
He later tweeted: “After North Korea missile launch, it’s more important than ever to fund our gov’t & military!”, aimed at the Democrats urging them to join Republicans in passing of a spending measure for preventing a government shutdown.
Trump had earlier suggested that diplomatic solutions t the North Korean nuclear problem was past its time and has earlier repeatedly said that he would not be averse to using military options against North Korea on this issue.
The latest North Korean missile flew for 45 minutes and traversed 620 miles from the launch site before falling into Japanese waters, just 130 miles away from the coast of Aomori prefecture, and after reaching a height of about 2,800 miles.
The trajectory of the missile suggests that it had been launched almost straight up on a “lofted trajectory” just like the previous two missiles launched by North Korea.
It appeared to the Pentagon that the missile was indeed an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that the latest missile “went higher, frankly, than any previous shot they’ve taken.” The launch was described as an attempt to construct missiles “that can threaten everywhere in the world”, he said.
David Wright, co-director of the global security program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said that the missile potentially possessed a range of over 8,1000 miles had it been launched on a standard trajectory that is calculated to maximize its reach.
“Such a missile would have more than enough range to reach Washington, D.C.,” Wright said.
(Source:www.washingtonpost.com)
