A few days ago, the DPRK announced the successful test launch of a second-generation medium- and long-range hypersonic attack missile, thus becoming the third country after China and Russia to make steady progress in the field of hyperpower. This is an excellent achievement, because the United States has not yet been able to complete a test launch of a superb missile of this class.
(The Hwasong-16B in the take-off state, it can be seen that the two-stage solid rocket is used for boosting)
Judging from relevant reports, North Korea calls the new medium- and long-range hypersonic attack missile the Hwasong-16B, but it is not directly related to the Hwasong-16 intercontinental missile using an 11-axis launch vehicle. The Hwasong-16B uses a 7-axle missile launcher, and in this sense, the Hwasong-16B is roughly equivalent in size to the Soviet-era RSD-10 long-range ballistic missile (NATO codenamed SS-20 Sabre).
The Hwasong-16B missile uses a two-stage solid rocket engine, the hypersonic warhead is a gliding body, and the warhead is protected by a three-piece protective cover before the missile is erected, and the protective cover is opened again when it is erected to avoid being affected by the external environment. Due to the relatively advanced gliding body design, the warhead of the Hwasong-16B has a large lift-to-drag ratio and can maneuver in a wide range of atmospheres to avoid detection and interception by the opponent's anti-missile interception system.
(The frontal view of the Hwasong-16B before it was erected, it can be seen that the manufacturing process of the glider body is quite good)
Due to the large weight and volume design of the hypersonic warhead, its range is affected to a certain extent, although it has a two-stage rocket boost, but the range is probably not so optimistic.
The Hwasong-16B's test launch range is about 1,000 kilometers, and the North Korean side's explanation for this is that for safety, the Hwasong-16B has postponed the start of the second-stage rocket engine, and at the same time, the missile has carried out a high-Gload maneuver in the test airspace to forcibly control the speed and altitude, so as to prevent the missile from flying over neighboring countries.
(It is speculated that the flight trajectory of Hwasong-16B will be in the Sea of Japan and close to the border between Russia and North Korea)
Based on the trajectory of this test flight, it is preliminarily estimated that the Hwasong-16B missile may shut down at a speed of Mach 12 and have a maximum range of more than 3,500 kilometers, which is enough to cover the entire territory of the Korean Peninsula and Japan, and includes Guam in the attack range. If the DPRK wants to conduct such a full-range flight test, the missile will inevitably fly over Japan, and in view of the complexity of the current situation in Northeast Asia, the DPRK has deliberately limited the range of the missile.
Such a high level of ballistic control capability also demonstrates North Korea's technological strength in this field. The biggest feature of hypersonic attack missiles is that their trajectory is changeable, and the air defense system can only detect them according to traditional methods, which is difficult to lock on and cannot intercept.
(The Hwasong-16B is opening the shield of the warhead)
Previously, when North Korea announced the Hwasong-8 hypersonic attack missile, the United States, Japan and South Korea were skeptical about it, and some people even ridiculed it as a "make-up model". However, North Korea has demonstrated its ballistic missile control capabilities in subsequent missile tests. In 2022, North Korea conducted a number of hypersonic attack missile test launches, and the United States, Japan, and South Korea carefully observed these test launches, thus gaining the opportunity to analyze and judge North Korea's technological strength.
According to observational data, the DPRK's superb warhead once "made a sharp turn" before splashing down on the surface of the sea. In the face of facts, the United States, Japan, and South Korea have to admit that the DPRK has made great progress in the field of hypersonic attack missiles, and is even ahead of the United States.
(The Hwasong-16B uses a 7-axle launch vehicle, which is larger than the DF-17 and has a lot to do with the DF-26)
North Korea once again demonstrated its superb control capabilities during the Hwasong-16B test launch, and after reaching a first altitude of about 100 kilometers, the Hwasong-16B missile launched a hypersonic attack warhead, which maneuvered after gliding down to a second altitude of about 70 kilometers. This altitude is located just near the low limit of the Standard-3 anti-missile interceptor missile.
The Standard-3 anti-missile interceptor missile is the main force of the anti-missile interception system of the United States, Japan, and South Korea, and serves as an important mid-course interception mission. The United States and Japan hope that the Standard-3 will be able to intercept most of the missiles in the middle section, which will not only avoid the damage of large fragments to the ground, but also reduce the pressure on the inner defense system and improve the overall interception efficiency of the anti-missile system. Therefore, in the design, the minimum interception altitude of the Standard-3 anti-missile interceptor missile is 70 km.
(The Hwasong-16B trajectory is exactly within the lower limit of the standard-3 anti-missile interceptor missile)
The warhead of the Hwasong-16B hypersonic attack missile presses the lowest point of the mid-section of the gliding trajectory at 70 kilometers, basically avoiding the interception of the Standard-3 anti-missile interceptor missile, which is a major challenge for the anti-missile system of the United States, Japan and South Korea.
The successful development of the Hwasong-16B is another major breakthrough in the field of missile technology for the DPRK.
First of all, it marks the upgrading and transformation of North Korea's missiles from liquid to solid, after North Korea's first hypersonic attack missile, the Hwasong-8, was also a liquid-fueled rocket engine, which needed to be refueled before launch, which easily exposed the target and was attacked by the other side.
The Hwasong-16B uses a solid rocket engine, which can be stored for a long time, and can be launched after receiving the command, with higher security, faster response, better concealment, and stronger battlefield survivability.
(North Korea's previously announced Hwasong-8, which uses a six-axle chassis and a single-stage rocket to propulsion, is a very rudimentary test product)
Secondly, great progress has been made in the development of hypersonic warheads, and the range of the Hwasong-16B missile reaches more than 3500 km. For missiles, the longer the range and the greater the speed, the more difficult it is to develop the guidance system, control system, thermal protection, etc. of the hypersonic warhead.
It is very difficult to overcome these technical difficulties, even the United States has a headache for them, and the DPRK's economic and technological strength is relatively limited.
The DPRK is closely surrounded by the United States, Japan, and South Korea, and its military pressure is extremely heavy, and its conventional combat capability is difficult to compete with that of the United States, Japan, and South Korea. Under such circumstances, long-range missiles have become one of North Korea's rare and reliable means of asymmetric strike, and they are responsible for deterring a strong enemy.
(Perspective of a missile-launching drone unique to North Korea)
However, in recent years, the United States, Japan, and South Korea have stepped up efforts to build an anti-missile system in Northeast Asia in an attempt to curb the missile attack capability of China, Russia and North Korea. In this case, North Korea's focus on developing hypersonic attack missiles can effectively break through the anti-missile encirclement of the United States, Japan and South Korea. It is foreseeable that in the future, North Korea will further enhance the performance of the Hwasong-16B, or equip more medium- and long-range missiles with hypersonic flying bodies, so as to comprehensively improve its deterrence capability against the United States, Japan and South Korea.