North Korea has released video footage and images of Friday’s intercontinental ballistic missile test.
Pyongyang heralded the test of the Hwasong-14 ICBM as a demonstration of the country’s ability to deliver a nuclear payload to distant targets almost anywhere in the U.S. Experts assess that while North Korea often exaggerates, this claim appears to be quite true given the flight data.
WATCH:
The North Korean military first tested its ICBM July 4, shocking the world with abilities believed by some to be beyond it. Friday’s ICBM test, which was conducted at night, signaling an operational capability test rather than a propaganda stunt, was definitely even more alarming.
The lofted missile flew for around 45 minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of approximately 3,800 kilometers and covering a distance of roughly 1,000 kilometers. Expert observers estimate that if the missile were to be fired along a normal trajectory, the weapon would likely have a range between 10,400 kilometers and 11,000 kilometers, the upper end of which would put most of the continental U.S. within striking distance.
North Korea is now on the fast track to developing a viable, nuclear deterrence against the U.S. much sooner than previously expected.
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