North Korea carried out a long-range strategic cruise missile launch drill on December 28 using what is assessed to be an upgraded variant of the Hwasal-1 long-range strategic cruise missile, according to information released by the Korean Central News Agency. Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the exercise. It involved two missiles launched from the country’s western coastline, flying for nearly three hours along preprogrammed routes over the Yellow Sea before striking designated targets, a demonstration Pyongyang said was intended to verify the readiness and reliability of its strategic counterstrike forces. Read more.
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| Two strategic cruise missiles were launched from North Korea’s western coastline and flew along preprogrammed trajectories over the Yellow Sea before striking their designated targets (Picture source: KCNA) |