North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a ground test of an upgraded solid-fuel rocket engine, state media reported on Sunday, signalling the country’s continued push to strengthen its weapons programme. The report by the Korean Central News Agency said the test was part of a new five-year national defence plan.Photos released by KCNA showed Kim inspecting parts of the engine with officials. Another image showed flames shooting out of a ground-mounted engine during the test.
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Solid-fuel engines are important because they allow missiles to be launched more quickly, with little preparation time. According to KCNA, the latest engine, made from composite carbon fibre, produced a thrust of 2,500 kilonewtons. This is the first confirmed high-thrust solid-fuel engine test since September last year, when a similar engine produced a lower thrust of 1,971 kilonewtons.According to KCNA, Kim said that developing high-thrust engines “conforms with the national strategy and the military demand for modernising the strategic forces”. He also said the country’s defence capabilities had entered “a significant phase of change” as it builds its strategic forces.
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Analysts say the development points to bigger ambitions. Hong Min from the Korea Institute for National Unification told AFP that the test showed North Korea’s “resolve to acquire missiles capable of hitting targets around the globe”. He added that the increased thrust suggested an aim to build missiles with global range and the ability to overcome defence systems.Min further said that North Korea might be planning to use such engines in intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that it was developing. “Given the increased maximum thrust, this indicates its intention to possess ICBMs with global strike range, as well as the ability to overwhelm missile defence systems,” he said.
