Pyongyang conducted missile tests this month, the National Interest magazine said, adding that it is developing modern missile systems that Seoul and Washington could not bring down.
On August 10, North Korea conducted its sixth missile test as US-South Korean drills begin, prompting Pyongyang to seek a "new path" if America and South Korea continue to "sharpen the sword" against the US. North Korean regime.
Pyongyang has already begun paving the "new path" despite tougher sanctions since 2017, seeking to surprise the world with more sophisticated weapons, and while the US president played down recent missile tests by saying they were not nuclear, but their ability to Affordability can warrant the attention of analysts and policy makers.
On May 4, North Korea conducted two tests on two types of missile systems, 240 mm and 300 mm.
The 240 mm system, which has been part of North Korea's arsenal since 1985, with a range of 25 miles to 31 miles (a mile equal to 1.6 kilometers), is capable of carrying small warheads weighing up to 100 pounds (less than 50 kilograms) and is operating with solid fuel. It does not smoke, and can carry out attacks on large targets such as front-line military bases and urban areas.
The 300 mm system, the KN-09, is a guided artillery guided missile that was first tested in 2013 and has a range of 118 to 124 miles and is capable of carrying light conventional warheads.
The missile consists of a system called "SY-300" and steering fins can be seen near the warhead and includes guidance systems based on "GPS", which enhances the accuracy of the missile in targeting.
"KNN-23"
On May 4, North Korea also test-fired a new type of guided missile, the KN-23, which resembles a Russian missile, the Iskander, whose export version is 174 miles (882 to 1,102 pounds) of warhead. .
The missile was later tested on May 9 and July 25, most recently on August 6.
Interestingly, the tests showed a change in the distances covered by the missiles. In the May 4 test, the missile flew 150 miles in the first test, followed by 260 miles in the May 9 test and 428 miles in July, and 280 miles in August.
What raises concerns is that the current missile defense technology is not complex enough to intercept recent North Korean missiles that can maneuver and avoid interceptions.
In addition to the missiles, Pyongyang on July 31 unveiled modern guided missile systems, and said, citing the official North Korean news agency - that tactical data and technical characteristics have reached the stage of numerical values of design and combat effectiveness of the system as a whole.
The National Interstate says the new missile system - although unclear about its basic characteristics - could boost North Korea's missile capabilities, which now stand at 118 miles, up 37 miles, putting South Korea and US targets in the range.
Sungun.
Pyongyang also unveiled on June 10 a new missile that it tested near Hamhong in the east of the country. South Korea is reported to have a short-range solid-fuel missile similar to the US MGM-140, different from the KN-23 missile system. ".
Pyongyang has developed other military capabilities such as submarines, one of which is said to have been designed to carry three ballistic missile systems, and North Korea's cyber attacks have grown and recently earned $ 2 billion to fund weapons programs.
The magazine concludes that North Korea, headed by Kim Jong-un, is losing patience with the slow progress in talks with Washington, joint exercises (Washington and Seoul), as well as South Korea's deployment of new weapons such as "F-35" fighters.