Test shows progress towards hypersonic missile: North Korea

Bloomberg

North Korea said it test-fired a “hypersonic” missile for the second time in about four months, as it continues to develop nuclear-capable weapons designed to evade interception by the US and its allies.
According to the account provided by North Korea’s official media, the latest test showed marked improvements from its last attempt to fire a hypersonic missile in September, which resulted in a short flight and questions about deployment of the glider. The Korean Central News Agency said Thursday the latest missile “precisely hit” a target 700 kilometers (435 miles) away and “clearly demonstrated the control and stability of the hypersonic gliding warhead.”
“The successive successes in the test launches in the hypersonic missile sector have strategic significance,” KCNA added. North Korea splashed photos of the launch in its biggest newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, hailing the new weapon as a national achievement. The “hypersonic gliding warhead” detached from the missile carrying it and made lateral movements as it flew 120 kms to hit the target that was 700 kms from the launch site, KCNA said.
North Korea appears to have mounted the glide vehicles on long-range, liquid-fueled missile and fired them from a mobile launcher. While ballistic missiles are typically “hypersonic” —traveling in excess of five times the speed of sound — North Korea is referring to the use of maneuverable high-speed gliders to carry warheads past missile defenses.