1. DPRK just released an official image of the ballistic missile tested on 5 Jan (pic 1). It appears to be the new hypersonic weapon first revealed during the Oct 2021 weapon exhibition (marked as Missile B in pic 2). Full ONN report on the exhibition: bit.ly/3HBIM5l
2. Same as the Hwasong-12, the missile is carried by a MAZ-547 truck. However, the missile appears to be much shorter than the HS-12, as evidenced by the clips on the erection arms: they have been moved back to hold the shorter missile (see pic below)
3. In general, the new hypersonic missile seems to be of similar length to the Hwasong-8 hypersonic missile tested in Sept last year (see pic 1 below). The Hwasong-8 also appears to be significantly shorter than the Hwasong-12 (pic 2). For more info see: bit.ly/3n1RAJP
4. It's possible that 🇰🇵designed 2 supersonic warheads and mate them with a shortened HS-12 rocket stage. The 2 designs might be meant to compete or complement each other. As the rocket stage is still relatively large, the missiles might not have demonstrated their max ranges.
5. The Japanese authority earlier stated that the missile flight distance was about 500 km if the missile flew a normal trajectory. The KCNA text says that the missile hit a target 700 km away from the firing position after performing invasive manoeuvres.
6. This suggested that the missile's manoeuvrability could potentially make the detection and tracking by the adversary more difficult, thus posing more difficulties for missile defence.
7. ONN will follow up with a more detailed brief for public consumption shortly
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THREAD: DPRK held a defence exhibition on 11 Oct. Most weapons displayed had been shown before. This thread highlights some of the exhibits showcased in the event.
1. New-type ICBM that made its public debut on 10 Oct 2020 but has yet to be flight tested.
For more info see: thebulletin.org/2020/10/two-ke…
2. Hwasong-8 tested on 28 Sept 2021 was displayed among the ICBMs and IRBMs. Photo shows that its hypersonic glide vehicle looks similar to the Chinese DF-17.
For more info see: bit.ly/3AAbq2T