: North Korea Says It Test-Fired New Cruise Missiles With Range to Hit Japan #WorldNEWS North Korea said it successfully test-fired a new model of long-range cruise missile this weekend, in the latest

North Korea Says It Test-Fired New Cruise Missiles With Range to Hit Japan #WorldNEWS
North Korea said it successfully test-fired a new model of long-range cruise missile this weekend, in the latest sign the regime is trying to bolster its capability for nuclear strikes against Japan and South Korea.
The missiles flew in “pattern-8 flight orbits” for more than two hours on Saturday and Sunday, covering some 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) over land and waters off North Korea before hitting targets, the official Korea Central News Agency said Monday. That range would be sufficient to strike most of Japan, and the KCNA report called the new missile a “strategic weapon of great significance. ”
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The tests, if confirmed, would be North Korea’s first reported missile launches since firing off two short-range ballistic missiles in March. They were announced as U. S. President Joe Biden’s nuclear envoy, Sung Kim, headed to Asia for talks with counterparts from Japan and South Korea aimed at bringing Pyongyang back to stalled disarmament talks.
The United Nations nuclear watchdog said last month North Korea had resumed from around July plutonium-producing operations at its Yongbyon nuclear facility. Pyongyang also staged its first military parade since Biden became president last week, with Kim Jong Un presiding over an event with scaled down displays of weaponry and no missiles.
Unlike ballistic missiles that fly in an arched trajectory and are not powered on descent, cruise missiles are powered throughout flight and are generally more maneuverable.
Jeffrey Lewis, the director of the East Asia nonproliferation program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, said their ability to fly below the radar and evade defense systems fits with Kim’s goal of deterring a U. S. -led attack.
“North Korea’s war plan is to preemptively strike U. S. forces in South Korea and Japan if an invasion appears imminent,” Lewis said. “Cruise missiles offer significant advantages in terms of surprise, penetration of defenses and accuracy. ”
There have been no confirmation of the details offered by North Korea by the U. S. and its allies. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it was analyzing the reports in cooperation with American intelligence.
The U. S. Indo-Pacific Command said: “We are aware of reports of DPRK cruise missile launches. We will continue to monitor the situation and are consulting closely with our allies and partners,” referring to North Korea by its formal name.
Pyongyang has touted efforts to build up its tactical strike capability, with leader Kim telling a top ruling party meeting before Biden came to office in January that he was putting North Korea on a path to develop more advanced nuclear technologies and missiles.