The key facts

  • The test of a medium-sized warhead took place on November 2 and was reported by KCNA
  • The agency claims the warhead hits an area of 5 to 6 hectares
  • Days earlier, the DPRK publicly demonstrated firing of the 'Sniper' MLRS and cruise missile launches

November 2 test

North Korea conducted a test of a strategic cruise missile on November 2, aimed at assessing the power of its warhead and verifying its flight characteristics. This was reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), as cited by Gazeta.Ru. According to the agency, the Missile Administration of the DPRK evaluated the power of a medium-sized warhead as well as its performance in a vertical strike. KCNA claims that the tests confirmed the warhead's ability to hit an area of five to six hectares.

Context: a series of weapons demonstrations

The missile test fits into a string of recent military activities by the DPRK. On October 30, according to the agency, the country demonstrated for the first time before a wide audience live firing of the 600-millimeter 'Sniper' multiple launch rocket system — the firing took place at an exhibition of unmanned aviation technology attended by the country's leader Kim Jong Un. At the same time, North Korean military forces conducted launches of tactical cruise missiles, strikes by kamikaze drones and multi-purpose drones; according to KCNA, air-to-surface missiles and cruise missiles hit their targets with one hundred percent accuracy. Earlier, on October 17, there were reports of the launch of the DPRK's newest artificial intelligence-equipped ultra-fast torpedo.

What is known and what remains in question

All key details about the test — the date, the nature of the verification, and the claimed area of destruction — come from KCNA's own reports, that is, from an official North Korean source; there is no independent confirmation of these figures in available publications. The claimed accuracy of hits during the October firings is also reported on the agency's word alone. Publications do not provide information about the missile's characteristics, the type of carrier tested, or the location of the test.