Kim Jong-un punctuated September with flurry of new missiles
An example of the Hwasong-8 hypersonic missile was displayed at a defence exhibition in Pyongyang this week. (KCNA)
North Korea continues to surprise protagonists with the rate at which it develops new missile types.
Living up to the ‘Rocket Man’ moniker bestowed by former US president Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un fired a flurry of new missile types throughout September, including an intermediate-range cruise missile, a railcar-mounted short-range ballistic missile, a hypersonic missile and an air defence missile.
First off the rank, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that cruise missile tests occurred on 11-12 September. After being launched from an 8x8 transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) possessing five launch tubes, the missiles reportedly flew for 126 minutes, travelled some 1,500km and hit their targets.
The advent of North Korean cruise missiles means that
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Defence Notes
-
![Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre concludes after a series of firsts]()
Australia’s Exercise Talisman Sabre concludes after a series of firsts
More than 40,000 military personnel from 19 participating nations took part in the 11th iteration of the biennial Exercise Talisman Sabre multi-domain event which was held across Australia and in Papua New Guinea.
-
![US Africa Command targets logistic solutions]()
US Africa Command targets logistic solutions
AFRICOM is seeking IT systems and supply chain management solutions to enhance interoperability and standardise logistical processes in its area of responsibility.
-
![Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending]()
Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending
Germany’s Rheinmetall released its 1H 2025 results on 7 August, continuing the strong growth of recent years. A particular highlight of the result’s presentation was the Skyranger air defence system for which the company is predicting sales of about US$8.2 billion from the German Government before the end of the year.
-
![Defence companies continue to ride procurement wave]()
Defence companies continue to ride procurement wave
Vehicle and technology companies are reporting substantial growth compared to the first half of 2024. Italy’s Fincantieri saw revenues jump 24% for the first half of the year compared to 2024 and Thales up 6.8% for the same period. General Dynamics reported second quarter revenue growth of 8.9% for the second quarter compared to last year and MilDef reported organic order intake growth of 58%.
-
![Singapore plots a way forward with new technology and formation reform]()
Singapore plots a way forward with new technology and formation reform
Singapore spends about 3.5% of GDP on defence and the section’s budget sits on high on the proportion of national spending. The country is investing in uncrewed technology, medium- and long-range fires and new submarines and ships with the hunt also on for new maritime patrol aircraft.
