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North Korea Unveils Hypersonic Missile Designed to Outsmart US Patriot and THAAD Defenses
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
North Korea has showcased what appears to be a new short-range ballistic missile fitted with a hypersonic glide warhead, a configuration that could make interception by systems like the US Patriot or THAAD significantly more difficult.
According to Army Recognition, via South Korean media coverage of the “Defense Development-2025” exhibition in Pyongyang on October 5, the missile—identified as the Hwasong-11Ma—is a variant of the KN-23 family, resembling Russia’s Iskander system.
The display featured a lift-generating glide body with small control fins, suggesting the missile is capable of maneuvering at hypersonic speeds during its terminal phase.
The Hwasong-11Ma reportedly retains the solid-fuel propulsion of the KN-23 series but replaces the traditional warhead cone with a faceted glide body designed to maintain controlled lift in dense air.
This aerodynamic profile would enable the warhead to perform lateral maneuvers while flying at speeds above Mach 5, complicating radar tracking and interception.
Army Recognition noted that the missile’s transporter-erector-launcher matches earlier KN-23 platforms, indicating that North Korea is adapting an existing architecture rather than developing an entirely new system.
Solid propellant allows for faster launch preparation and fewer detectable signatures, enhancing survivability against preemptive strikes.
Analysts suggest the new configuration could reduce the effectiveness of current US and allied missile defense systems in the region.
The missile’s low-altitude, maneuvering trajectory shortens detection time and limits engagement opportunities for systems such as Patriot PAC-3, Aegis, and THAAD. While not rendering them ineffective, the design could require new interception tactics and denser defensive coverage.
Open-source assessments place the missile’s range between 600 and 800 kilometers, aligning it with upper-tier SRBMs. The vehicle’s estimated diameter of 0.9 meters and length of up to 9.8 meters are consistent with previous KN-23 data. The road-mobile 8×8 launcher, weighing about 40 tons, can deploy two canisters and operate at speeds up to 70 km/h.
Guidance is primarily inertial, with potential satellite corrections where jamming permits. There is no visible terminal seeker, and no such capability was claimed in the released material.
Earlier, North Korea displayed a scale model of the Stryker-style wheeled tank in 2024, but the full-size prototype unveiled this year features notable structural changes, including a redesigned hull, reinforced armor, and updated turret systems.
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