Did North Korea succeed in firing an ancient missile?

The weapons probe has become a bone of contention in the rivalry between North and South Korea, with Pyongyang declaring it fired more than one sophisticated missile and Seoul accusing it of lying.

Just hours after North Korean media lauded the “success” in its test and ran the photos as evidence on Thursday, the South called it “deception and exaggeration” and rejected its own evidence pointing to the failure. Gave.

Meanwhile, analysts remain uncertain as to the fact of North’s claims.

The dispute underscores the complexities of verifying North Korea’s gun buildup, which continues despite crippling world sanctions.

If North Korea’s original claims are true, this could be a significant development in their missile program.

Some warhead missiles are difficult to cover and difficult to manufacture. Nowadays, in addition to the United States – which first developed it in the 1960s – the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China are also known to have these functions.

Pyongyang is now boasting that they are one step closer to achieving this.

For some time now, experts have raised the possibility of North Korea building in the future MIRV works,

MIRV stands for Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Automobile. There is technology to combine multiple weapons in a single missile, which can later be separated. The weapons would later be operated via their own rockets to attack various targets.

They can be fired at different speeds and in more than one direction, allowing them to hit targets several kilometers apart. This is what makes those guns especially environmentally friendly.

Pyongyang said Thursday it had “successfully tested the separation and containment control of individual mobile weapons” moments earlier. It said the weapon carried the first stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile, and deployed 3 warheads and a decoy.

Situation media said the missile traveled a “short distance” of 170 to 200 km (105 to 124 mi) to ensure safety and measure weapons flights. Anti-air radar found that all weapons were “correctly guided” to their targets and the decoys had also deployed successfully.

This test was “very important in strengthening” their missile forces and was intended to “secure the MIRV capability, which I am framing as a top priority.”

South Korea’s military then quickly rejected those claims, saying “the flight was not normal” and that the weapon had detonated mid-flight.

It excused the video it filmed during the test, saying the initial stage showed a deviated gliding that ended in an explosion in mid-air. Army officials said they detected huge amounts of debris, far in excess of what would result from an AA hit test.

He also said that North Korea’s photos of allegedly detached missile warheads and decoys were actually photos of an intercontinental ballistic missile test conducted in March.

Analysts quoted by South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that test fluctuations were more commonly found in intercontinental ballistic missile tests. He also believed that the missile may have inadequate guidance and control systems.

Alternative experts speculate that some parts of the investigation were successful – although much remains unknown.

Yang, a researcher at the Asan Institute for Coverage Research in the United Kingdom, told the BBC that while he currently believes the weapons slippage and disintegration are hard work, “North Korea has not provided evidence that the weapons are in its Whether the goal was reached or not – we cannot say that they succeeded here”.

Japan’s Defense Ministry said the missile achieved a maximum altitude of 100 km. This meant that it did not penetrate the outer limits and instead remained within the Earth’s size. Additionally, it is believed that “the weapons were not tested for the high heat and pressure they would experience after re-entry into the atmosphere, so we cannot know their capabilities,” Dr. Yang said.

The gun tests were observed by South Koreans living across the border, and A video broadcast by South Korean media A picture taken by a civilian eyewitness confirmed a visible contraction within the sky.

North Korean gun expert and former U.S. environment branch Ronald Van Diepen said the video “does not indicate any major explosion or catastrophic failure”, and that this appears to be the case, according to North Korean state media footage.

“But a more subtle failure cannot be ruled out,” he said, noting that there was isolated evidence that the weapons had missed and effectively flown on their own.

Despite the fact of Czech good fortune, what is clear is that North Korea will still stand to gain some benefits.

Eyewitnesses indicate that Pyongyang may have acquired useful technical information from the start, bringing them one step closer to achieving MIRV capability, a feat that I publicly expect the North Korean government to prepare for in 2021. I am ready.

MIRV missiles may be valued given their “productivity,” Mr. Van Diepen said, especially in a situation where North Korea may have a depleted missile arsenal after the first strike from an enemy.

This hourly check, although successful, would no longer be sufficient to complete the improvement of either of these weapons, although he estimated that the North Koreans are “at least a few years away” from that task.

The timing of the test – just days before the anticipated plenary meeting, where North Korean officials will gather to test their work on the first part of the motion – is likely not coincidental. Alternative experts say its purpose may be to showcase the military’s achievements.

It would have sent a message of permanent defiance to its enemies and also a signal of the country’s developing actions.

With the exception of Japan and South Korea issuing a brief joint comment condemning it, Washington has said little in line with the original investigation. However Mr Van Diepen said the United States government, which may have the most skilled sources to analyze North Korea’s weapons assessments, would need to shed more light.

“Otherwise, the North wins free publicity.”

Backup reporting via Jake Kwon and Rachel Lee