[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Different from Before the Launch of Hwaseong-18

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North Korea announced that it has conducted the first test launch of its new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-18. This is the first time an ICBM using solid fuel has been named Hwasong-18 and launched at a normal trajectory.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 14th, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Chairman Kim Jong Un attended the event and stated, "On the 13th, the test launch of the new type of intercontinental ballistic missile (missile) ‘Hwasong-18’, which will carry out the mission of significant war deterrence, was conducted."

North Korea launched the Hwasong-18 at a normal angle for the first time. The Korean Central News Agency added, "The first stage was set to a standard ballistic flight mode, while the second and third stages were set to a high-angle mode, and the missile’s maximum speed was limited by a time-delay separation ignition method." Japan issued a nationwide alert system ‘J-Alert’ the previous day but canceled it after the Hwasong-18 flew at a high angle.

North Korea has focused on developing solid-fuel ICBMs. The time required to load liquid fuel into an ICBM is approximately 30 to 45 minutes, which poses a high risk of exposure to South Korean and U.S. reconnaissance assets. In contrast, solid fuel allows launch within 10 to 15 minutes, about one-third of the time. This makes solid fuel highly mobile and responsive. Liquid-fueled ICBMs are difficult to mobilize quickly because they require fueling.

The Hwasong-18 launch applied the cold launch method for the first time. The cold launch method uses a gas generator built into the launch tube to propel the missile to a certain height before igniting the propulsion engine in midair. Cold launch is only possible with solid fuel and reduces damage to the launch vehicle caused by flames. In other words, it prevents damage to the mobile launcher (TEL) that launched the Hwasong-18. Using a TEL allows the ICBM to be launched quickly, with mobility and concealment, anytime and anywhere.

The Hwasong-18 is likely modeled after Russian and Chinese ICBMs. The Dongfeng-41, the world’s largest ICBM capable of carrying nuclear warheads, has a range of 15,000 km. It weighs 80 tons, is 21 meters long, and travels at Mach 25. Its diameter is 2.25 meters and it can carry 10 multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) or a single 1-megaton warhead. It is launched using a mobile launcher.

North Korean experts are paying attention to the launch date of the Hwasong-18. North Korea chose the 13th, not the 15th, which is the birthday of President Kim Il Sung, known as the Day of the Sun. Analysts believe this was to compensate for the failed launch of the ‘Kwangmyongsong-3’ satellite on April 13, 2012, 11 years ago.

Additional launches of the Hwasong-18 are expected in the future. In fact, North Korea has already announced plans to launch a military reconnaissance satellite. The National Aerospace Development Administration of North Korea announced in December last year that "preparations for the first military reconnaissance satellite will be completed by April 2023." Observers also expect that North Korea, which has so far conducted ICBM test launches at nearly vertical high angles, will launch the missile at a normal angle as if in actual combat. The timing is likely to coincide with a series of upcoming political events, including the 91st anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army (on the 25th), and could mark the starting point for external provocations.

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