North Korea is a mysterious and magical country. Despite the fact that its air force is not even able to equip fourth-generation fighters, it has achieved world-class achievements in the field of missiles. As early as February 18, 2023, North Korea conducted a test launch of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental missile.
According to data from the test, the missile's range reached an astonishing 5,700 kilometers, more than a dozen times the orbital altitude of China's space station (which is about 400 to 450 kilometers). Only a handful of countries can reach this level.
This raises the question of how a poor and backward country could achieve such a high level of success in missile technology.
The high technology of North Korean missiles
North Korea's ICBM technology is amazing precisely because it is so advanced that it threatens America's homeland security. Considering that the United States, as one of the most powerful military countries in the world, has a powerful anti-intercontinental missile system, it is generally difficult for missiles to pose a direct threat to the US mainland, which is enough to show that North Korea's intercontinental missile technology has its own uniqueness.
In the case of the Hwasong-15 missile, according to the February 2023 test launch data evaluation report, its range of 5,700 kilometers means that the actual range of this missile may exceed 130,000 kilometers is enough to cover the continental United States. However, the actual range of this test launch was only a little more than 900 kilometers, why is this so?
This is because the test launch is only to verify the feasibility of the missile, and the test launch range is preferably within the territory of the country, considering that it may be captured by other countries when it returns to the atmosphere. However, North Korea's limited land area makes it almost impossible to conduct intercontinental missile tests on its own soil, so it can only select the high seas areas of neighboring countries and salvage the warheads in time after they are returned.
This is not alarmist. Just like China's test launch of the Dongfeng-5 intercontinental missile, in order to prevent the warhead from being snatched away, China deployed ** near the landing site of the warhead before launching, and specially developed and purchased a batch of advanced **. In fact, it is very easy to calculate the landing point and trajectory of the missile as long as it is known at the launch angle and launch location. Because the angle of the atmosphere returning to the earth and the trajectory of its flight are basically fixed, only some basic data is needed to calculate the landing point of the missile.
The Hwasong-15 test-launched by North Korea may not have the function of re-entering the atmosphere and changing orbit and repairing orbit many times, so they are also nervous, for fear that the United States will suddenly take action. However, the Hwasong-15 missile is not the limit for North Korea. As early as 2022, North Korea also tested the Hwasong-17 missile, which reportedly could have a range of 150,000 km to 1Between 70,000 kilometers at speeds of more than Mach 9. Such a range is sufficient to hit the US mainland, and it is no wonder that the US claims that North Korean missiles have posed a threat to homeland security.
The origin of the technology
One of the important reasons why North Korea has such advanced ballistic missile technology lies in its strategic development direction. The DPRK has always adhered to the ideological strategy of "Songun politics", which was put forward by Kim Il Sung as early as the end of the 90s of the last century, and since the end of the Korean War, the country has been guided by the Songun politics as a strategic orientation, putting nuclear and ballistic missile technology in an important position.
In the 60s of the last century, the Soviet Union provided North Korea with a batch of SAM-2 surface-to-air missiles, which used some liquid ballistic missile technology, providing North Korea with an opportunity to develop related technologies. Subsequently, North Korea acquired V-1 and V-2 ballistic missiles and uncontrolled rocket technology, which gave it a certain foundation in rocket design, fuel propulsion and engines.
However, at that time, North Korea was not really determined to develop its own ballistic missiles, because with the support of the Soviet Union, North Korea was fully capable of guaranteeing its own national defense security. But with the decline of the Soviet Union's position in the Cold War and the continued infiltration of North Korea by the United States, the North Korean leadership realized the importance of developing strategic deterrent forces.
So, in 1979, the DPRK signed an agreement with Egypt on the joint development of ballistic missiles, and obtained the "Scud-B" ballistic missile from Egypt. In 1984, North Korea conducted a series of test-firing of the Cheng-5 missile, which, although only half successful, had a range of 320 kilometers and already covered most of South Korea's territory. This caused a stress response in South Korea, and although the United States did not react much, the incident still had an important impact on the development of North Korean missile technology.
With the development of ballistic missile technology, North Korea's missile research and development has entered a stage of rapid development. By 1999, North Korea had independently developed a large number of Hwaseong-6 missiles, and some of the technology and missiles were even exported to Iran, forming a technological complementarity.
Survive in the face of adversity
North Korea faces enormous challenges. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States became more assertive in its policy toward North Korea, which made North Korea feel tremendous pressure and even feared the outbreak of war for a time. However, in the face of US oppression, North Korea did not give in, but strengthened its determination to develop more advanced ballistic missiles. They want to have enough power to threaten the U.S. homeland in order to negotiate more favorable terms.
From 1998 to 2006, North Korea successively developed the Taepodong-1 and Taepodong-2 long-range missiles, the range of which can cover the US state of Alaska. Today, North Korea's ballistic missile technology has advanced to the point where it can pose a threat to the entire territory of the United States.
North Korea is a country that dares to challenge its predicament, and they are not afraid of the threat of power politics. It is this spirit that has allowed North Korea to find a glimmer of hope for survival in the blockade of Western countries. Just like China once did, while North Korea's ballistic missile technology may have been copied at first, more importantly, it has developed an independent national defense force, which requires strong determination and confidence. Only by being down-to-earth, step by step, and putting ideas into practice, can you achieve your goals.