Kim Jong-un punctuated September with flurry of new missiles
An example of the Hwasong-8 hypersonic missile was displayed at a defence exhibition in Pyongyang this week. (KCNA)
Living up to the ‘Rocket Man’ moniker bestowed by former US president Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un fired a flurry of new missile types throughout September, including an intermediate-range cruise missile, a railcar-mounted short-range ballistic missile, a hypersonic missile and an air defence missile.
First off the rank, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that cruise missile tests occurred on 11-12 September. After being launched from an 8x8 transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) possessing five launch tubes, the missiles reportedly flew for 126 minutes, travelled some 1,500km and hit their targets.
The advent of North Korean cruise missiles means that
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