North Korea confirms it test fired new hypersonic missile

Pyongyang: North Korea leader Kim Jong Un attended and oversaw the test launch of a brand new intermediate-range sold fuel missile that carried a hypersonic warhead on Tuesday, the country's official state media was cited as saying by Kyodo News.

According to Korean Central News Agency Kim Jong Un, attended the test launch of the solid fuel-powered Hwasong-16 missile in a Pyongyang suburb and claimed all missiles his country has developed are now based on solid fuel technology and are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan on Tuesday, with the projectile falling into waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to the Japanese Defence Ministry.

The South Korean military said the projectile might have been a hypersonic weapon. Hypersonic missiles are designed to travel at more than five times the speed of sound on irregular and low-altitude trajectories.

Solid-fuel missiles do not need to be filled up with fuel before being launched like liquid-fuel missiles do, making it harder for other countries to detect launch preparations and enhancing their pre-emptive strike and retaliatory capability, Kyodo News reported.

(ANI)