North Korea has officially described the latest missiles it launched on Saturday as a "new weapons system" that has a tactical character different from the regime's existing weapons systems.
Experts say the North's latest weapons resemble tactical missiles systems used by the U.S. Army.
Kim Hyo-sun has more.
North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency released on Sunday photographs of the new weapons the regime tested a day earlier.
The missiles launched on August 10th from the North's north-eastern city of Hamhung showed similar traits to the U.S. Army's tactical missiles system,... known as ATACMS.
They are also similar in that they can carry two missiles per launcher load.
While the range of ATACMS is 300 kilometers,... Pyeongyang's new tactical weapon flew over 400 kilometers at an apogee of around 48 kilometers, and a maximum speed of more than Mach 6-point-one.
"Following the launch, Chairman Kim expressed great satisfaction that the new weapons have been successfully developed."
North Korea has now showcased three new weapons including short-range ballistic missiles assessed to be KN-23, a modified version of a Russian Iskander missile,... as well as what the regime describes as a "newly developed large-caliber multiple rocket launcher system."
"North Korea is now capable of targeting major industrial facilities more precisely."
Experts say the development is part of the regime's efforts to shift its current liquid fueled conventional missiles to solid fuel engine missiles.
"Solid-fuel missiles are more suitable for surprise attacks, and their launchers can store missiles for longer."
The launches are part of the regime's protest against the ongoing Seoul-Washington military drills,... and it has signaled that more launches could follow until the drills wrap up on August 20th.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.
