International

Key recent weapons tests by North Korea

This picture from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) taken on August 29, 2017 and released on August 30, 2017 shows North Korea's intermediate-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 lifting off from the launching pad in Pyongyang.   | Photo Credit: AFP/KCNA via KNS

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North Korea launched an intermediate-range missile that flew over Japan in its longest-ever flight, showing that leader Kim Jong Un is defiantly pushing to bolster his weapons programs despite U.S.-led international pressure.

A look at the recent weapons tests:

May 14: North Korea fires a newly developed intermediate-range Hwasong-12 missile it says can carry a heavy nuclear warhead.

May 21: North Korea tests a Pukguksong-2 missile that uses solid fuel, which is harder to detect by outsiders before launch.

June 8: North Korea fires several projectiles believed to be short-range surface-to-ship cruise missiles.

July 4: North Korea test-launches its first intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-14, at a highly lofted trajectory.

July 28: North Korea fires another Hwasong-14, again at a lofted trajectory, but outsider experts say its full range would reach far into the U.S mainland, including cities such as Chicago.

Aug. 9: North Korea announces a detailed plan to launch a salvo of ballistic missiles toward the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, a major military hub and home to U.S. bombers.

Aug. 29: North Korea fires an intermediate-range Hwasong-12 that flies over Japan before plunging into the northern Pacific Ocean.

Sept. 3: North Korea carries out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date, claiming it was a hydrogen bomb.

Sept. 15: North Korea fires an intermediate-range missile over Japan into the Pacific; it flew about 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles), its longest-ever flight.

Printable version | Sep 15, 2017 2:50:11 PM | http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/key-recent-weapons-tests-by-north-korea/article19689634.ece