FALCON POWERS – North Korea tested a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying an extremely large warhead, the state news agency reported on Tuesday, with analysts saying it may be able to carry a nuclear warhead.
The Korean Central News Agency said Pyongyang fired the Hwasong-11D-4.5 missile on Monday, which is capable of carrying a 4.5-ton heavy warhead.
The agency said “the test launch was conducted by ensuring the flight characteristics and accurate hitting of the maximum range of 500 km and the minimum range of 90 km with a very large warhead.”
It said North Korea plans another test this month “to further verify the flight characteristics, accurate hitting and power of the explosion of the very large warhead at a medium range of 250 km.”
However, the South Korean military expressed skepticism, saying North Korea had launched two short-range ballistic missiles on Monday, with one failing at the start of the launch and exploding over North Korea.
South Korean military spokesman Lee Sung-jun told reporters on Tuesday, “It is very rare to conduct test launches inside the country, and the claim that they succeeded in such a launch may be false.”
