The New Tactical Guided Missile Mentioned by North Korea

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The new tactical guided missile that North Korea reportedly launched into the East Sea on the 25th is a type of tactical missile. It is a missile launched targeting a specific objective, and its threat level varies depending on its range and warhead weight. It differs from strategic missiles that can carry nuclear or biochemical warheads.

The core features of the new tactical guided missile are its destructive power and range. North Korea stated that the range of this new tactical guided missile has increased by more than 150 km compared to previous models, reaching 600 km. At this distance, if launched near the Military Demarcation Line, it can cover the entire territory of South Korea. This range could also affect U.S. military operations entering Korea from Japan via the sea. The range of the new tactical guided missile launched by North Korea in May 2019 was about 240 km. Subsequently, two missiles launched on May 9 flew approximately 420 km and 270 km, respectively. If the warhead weight, currently said to be 2.5 tons, is reduced, the range is expected to approach 700 to 800 km.

The reason North Korea’s new tactical guided missile is threatening is that, like Russia’s Iskander missile, it performs sudden evasive maneuvers when descending toward the ground. This is why it is called the “North Korean version of the Iskander.” By performing evasive maneuvers, it can avoid interception missiles such as the Patriot (PAC-3), which is part of the South Korea-U.S. missile interception system, as well as missile defense (MD) radars. The new tactical guided missile is known to glide during its descent phase, performing vertical climbs and other maneuvers, and in the final stage, it dives toward the target at an entry angle close to 80 to 90 degrees at a speed of about Mach 6.

Moreover, this new tactical guided missile uses solid fuel, so it does not require fueling time, and there are two types of mobile launch vehicles (TELs): one with 10 wheels and another with tank tracks, allowing it to be freely launched anytime and anywhere. If the TEL cannot be detected and neutralized by a preemptive strike before launch, interception must occur during the descent phase, which is difficult.

Regarding the warhead weight, which is directly related to destructive power, North Korea claimed it has been upgraded to 2.5 tons. However, military experts argue that since there is no change in the launcher width and only the missile body has lengthened, the warhead weight upgrade needs further verification. Shin Jong-woo, Secretary General of the Korea Defense and Security Forum (KODEF), said, “The new tactical guided missile appears to be about 1 meter longer, which suggests an increased range, but since there is no change in the launcher width as North Korea claims, additional analysis is necessary.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.