North Korea announces test of strategic cruise missile with cluster warhead
Photo: North Korea's missile test (KCNA)
North Korea said it tested a strategic cruise missile equipped with a cluster warhead on November 2. The launch also involved an assessment of the missile's flight performance for vertical strikes, according to Reuters and North Korea's state news agency KCNA.
The test was conducted on Monday, November 2, by North Korea's Missile Administration. The missile was equipped with a medium-sized cluster warhead.
The Missile Administration's Warhead Institute said it had confirmed the warhead's ability to reduce an area of 5-6 hectares to ashes.
The Cruise Missile Systems Institute reported that it had improved the missile's vertical strike capabilities. To achieve this, engineers enhanced the missile's terminal maneuverability, taking into account the natural and geographical features of the target area.
The tests were overseen by General Kim Jong Sik, a member of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea.
According to KCNA, the director of the Missile Administration said there was an urgent need to develop various weapons systems, as the armed forces must protect the country's security and deter threats. He said the tests had demonstrated "practical combat power."
According to Yonhap, the launch followed Saturday's test of a cluster bomb designed for tactical ballistic missiles. Pyongyang has pledged to equip its troops with various types of cluster warheads by the end of the year.
The fall of 2026 has been marked by a series of missile launches in North Korea. First, on September 20, Pyongyang launched two short-range missiles from the Wonsan area. According to Japan's Defense Ministry, the first missile flew 440 km and the second 590 km. Janes analysts suggested that they could be derivatives of the KN-23 missile family, although neither Japan nor South Korea officially identified the missiles.
Next, on October 4, North Korea conducted a test launch of a medium-range missile under the supervision of Kim Jong Un. According to KCNA, the missile hit a target approximately 1,000 km away. On October 12, the country launched at least two ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan. According to Tokyo's assessment, the second missile flew more than 910 km.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated in late October. Kim Jong Un ordered the military to step up its preparations for war. Earlier, Kyrylo Budanov had said that North Korea was using lessons from Russia's war against Ukraine to improve its weapons and military capabilities.
