BEIJING, 11 JAN – North Korea today launched a missile that flew more than 700 km at a maximum altitude of 60 km for a maximum speed of Mach 10, equal to 10 times the speed of sound. “We evaluate it was an improved model compared to that of January 5,” reported the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Seoul, defining the activities of Pyongyang a “clear” violation of the resolutions of the UN Security Council. Last week, the Yonhap agency reported, the North claimed to have tested a hypersonic vector that, according to Seoul, traveled less than 700 km at a maximum speed of Mach 6. “The launches pose a significant threat to peace. and security not only in the Korean peninsula but also in the world and are not useful for reducing military tensions ”, added the note from the Seoul armed forces. The Indo-Pacific command of the United States spoke of a “ballistic missile”, part of the “destabilizing” impact of the northern illicit weapons program. There is, however, a discrepancy in the flight distance between what was reported by the South Korean and Japanese authorities. The Japanese Ministry of Defense noted that the probable ballistic missile would have covered less than 700 km if it had followed the normal trajectory, crediting the hypothesis of an ‘advanced’ model. (HANDLE).
(ANSA)
