Hwasong-12B
| Hwasong-12B | |
|---|---|
| Type | Intermediate-range ballistic missile |
| Place of origin | North Korea |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Korean People's Army Strategic Force |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | North Korea |
| Specifications | |
| Warhead | Hypersonic glide vehicle |
| Propellant | Liquid-fueled |
Operational range | Over 6,000 km (3,700 mi) |
Launch platform | 6-axle TEL |
The Hwasong-12B[a] (Korean: 《화성-12나》형; lit. 'Mars Type 12B') is a North Korean single-stage, liquid-fueled hypersonic, intermediate-range ballistic missile. Unveiled in July 2023 during a military exhibition, Hwasong-12B is the second North Korean ballistic missile capable of carrying hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) after Hwasong-8, as well as the third hypersonic missile of North Korea.
Description
| Images of the Hwasong-12B | |
|---|---|
| The information board with official name | |
| The missile and its TEL |
The Hwasong-12B is a single-stage missile, powered by a liquid-propelled engine, carried by 6-axle transporter erector launchers.[1][3] Although Hwasong-12B has never undergone flight testing, its range is estimated to be over 6,000 km (3,700 mi).[4]
The hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) of Hwasong-12B is simillar in shape to the vehicle used by the solid-fueled Hwasong-16B.[5] It is likely mounted on a shortened,[6] or a standard Hwasong-12 booster.[7] Compared with Hwasong-8, the HGV of Hwasong-12B has some differences in fuselage and control fins. It is the second ballistic missile of North Korea capable of carrying hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) after Hwasong-8 (launched in September 2021), and the third type of hypersonic missile overall after it and Hwasong-12A (tested in January 2022).[8]
History
North Korea first test-fired missile with hypersonic glide vehicle in September 2021, with Hwasong-8.[9] According to German analyst Norbert Brügge, North Korea displayed two types of hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) in a military parade on 25 April 2022.[10]
Hwasong-12B made its public debut on 26 July 2023, during a military exhibition. At the time of debut, a bilingual information board in Korean and English was displayed to Kim Jong Un and Sergei Shoigu with official name.[8][11] The next day, North Korea displayed four Hwasong-12B missiles at a military parade.[1][12]
It is possible that the Hwasong-12B was renamed from Hwasong-8 between September 2021 and July 2023.[6] However, it seems unlikely, as the Hwasong-8 may be the name of the prototype hypersonic missile, and Hwasong-12B is planned to be the operational product.[8] Although there has been no known test for Hwasong-12B so far,[1] at least two Hwasong-12B missiles were spotted in October 2024 during Kim Jong Un's visit to a missile base,[2] suggesting that the missile may be deployed without any flight testing.[13]
See also
Related development
Comparable missiles
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d "S/2024/215" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. 7 March 2024. p. 106. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ a b Seo Ji-eun (23 October 2024). "North Korea's Kim makes first public visit to ICBM base amid Ukraine deployment, U.S. election". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ Colin Zwirko; Jeongmin Kim (28 July 2023). "New drones conduct flyovers as North Korea shows off nukes at military parade". NK News. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ Roman Prykhodko (13 November 2024). "Ракетна програма КНДР за підтримки РФ: нова загроза для США та їхніх союзників (Частина 1)" [North Korea's missile program with Russian support: a new threat to the US and its allies (Part 1)]. Militarnyi (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ Colin Zwirko (23 October 2024). "Kim Jong Un makes first public visit to ICBM base, calls for modernization". NK News. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ^ a b Hans M. Kristensen; Matt Korda; Eliana Johns; Mackenzie Knight-Boyle (15 July 2024). "North Korean nuclear weapons, 2024". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
- ^ Xu Tianran (8 August 2023). "Brief on 27 July 2023 Parade of the DPRK". Open Nuclear Network. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ^ a b c JSF (30 July 2023). 北朝鮮の新しい極超音速滑空ミサイル「火星12B」が登場 [North Korea's new hypersonic glide missile, the Hwasong-12B, has appeared]. Yahoo News Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 26 January 2025.
- ^ "Hypersonic Missile Newly Developed by Academy of Defence Science Test-fired". Korean Central News Agency. 29 September 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "Does North Korea have a real Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV)?". b14643.eu. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "Colin Zwirko's post". X (formerly Twitter). 27 July 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ Shweta Sharma (27 July 2023). "Kim Jong-un unveils two new North Korea combat drones resembling US's Reaper and Global Hawk". The Independent. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ Bạch Dương (12 October 2025). "Tên lửa KN-23 nâng cấp với đầu đạn lượn siêu thanh sớm tham chiến?" [Will the upgraded KN-23 missile with hypersonic glide warhead enter combat soon?]. Giáo dục và Thời đại (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
Thông tin về việc Triều Tiên trang bị tên lửa tầm trung Hwasong-12Na với đầu đạn lượn siêu thanh cũng đã xuất hiện trong một vài báo cáo công khai, nhưng cho đến nay, vẫn chưa có dữ liệu chính thức nào được xác nhận về vụ phóng thử nghiệm. (Information about North Korea deploying Hwasong-12Na IRBM with hypersonic glide warhead has appeared in several public reports, but to date, no official data has been confirmed regarding a test flight.)