North Korea on Wednesday claimed that its military carried out a successful hypersonic missile test that has boosted plans to fully develop the capability in the future.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported a successful ground test on Tuesday for a multi-stage solid-fuel engine, a crucial part of an intermediate-range hypersonic missile.
The test, at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground near the border with China, was attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to KCNA. Kim said at the testing that the hypersonic missiles are just as important as intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound. While some ballistic missiles can already hit those speeds, a true hypersonic missile is maneuverable in flight.
North Korea has tested hypersonic missile capabilities before, including a 2021 test for a gliding warhead, which is a type of warhead that can maneuver and glide at hypersonic speeds.
After this week's test, North Korea's KCNA said "a timetable for completing the development of the new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile weapon system was set."
While both China and Russia have fielded hypersonic missiles, the U.S. has struggled to deploy one of its own and is facing pressure in Washington to make progress.
This week, the U.S. Air Force tested one hypersonic capability, the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon known as ARRW. The ARRW has faced troubles in development and the prototype test was expected to be a final one, according to Defense News.
The Air Force has not requested any budgeting for ARRW in the 2025 budget request, but the department is asking to fund another capability, the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile program.
