The kinds of North Korean missiles Kim Jong Un has at his fingertips appeared to expand with the test-firing of a powerful intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday that, according to Politico, could threaten the U.S. mainland.
The missile traveled more than 600 miles after it was launched from Sain Ni in North Korea and splashed down in the Sea of Japan, a Pentagon spokesman said in a statement, ratcheting up tensions between the reclusive country and the United States, per Politico.
In all, North Korea has test-fired 15 missiles in 2017 and held its sixth underground nuclear test in September, per Politico.
According to CNN and the Missile Defense Project, here are 10 types of missiles available to Kim’s regime that could hit the U.S., its territories and its allies.
1. Hwasong-15: With an estimated range of 8,100 miles, on Tuesday it set a new height record for a North Korean missile, reaching 2,800 miles over a distance of 600 miles, CNN said. North Korea's test of the missile this week demonstrated significant potential range, but experts still doubt the country's re-entry technology and whether the missiles could fly anywhere near as far with a heavy nuclear warhead.
2. Hwasong-14: The rocket was tested in July with a reported range of 6,460 miles. The intercontinental ballistic missile was North Korea's most advanced before the Hwasong-15, CNN said. The Missile Defense Project said the rocket is a two-stage, liquid-fueled missile capable of carrying a high explosive or nuclear payload that could hit the U.S. West Coast and Alaska.
3. Hwasong-13/KN-08: According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, the missile has a range of 7,145 miles and is still in testing.
4. Hwasong-12: The intermediate-range ballistic missile has a range of 2,800 miles, which could hit the U.S. territory of Guam. The success rate of the Hwasong-12, though, was only 50 percent. North Korean state-run media stated that the Hwasong-12 is "capable of carrying a large-size heavy nuclear warhead," per CNN.
5. Musudan/Hwasong-10: After more than 10 years in development, the rocket has a range of 2,170 miles, but failed in seven of eight tests from 2016 to early 2017 according to experts with South Korea and the United States. North Korea, though, claimed either success or partial success with the missile, per CNN.
6. Taepodong-3/Unha-3: While this missile is tagged as a space launch vehicle for satellites, some have accused North Korea of using its space program to covertly test intercontinental and intermediate-range missiles, CNN said. The Taepdong-3/Unha-3 has a range of 6,200 miles. The rocket is a three-stage satellite launch vehicle and can carry a payload of 2,200 pounds.
7. Scud missiles: With a range of 3,100 miles, the short-range ballistic missiles are based on the Soviet Scud type design, dating back to World War II, CNN noted. While the scuds could be armed with nuclear warheads, they usually carry conventional explosives. The missiles can be launched from mobile launchers, making them harder to track and predict.
8. KN-02/SS-21 Scarab/9K79 Tochka: According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, this ballistic missile has a range of 75 miles and is operational.
9. Nodong/Rodong: The medium-range missile has a range of 930 miles, according to the Nuclear Threat Initiative. The Nodong is one of North Korea's oldest missile designs and can only be effectively used against large, soft targets like cities, airports or harbors, per CNN.
10. Submarine-launched missiles: These missiles have a range of 745 miles, CNN said. The Pukkuksong-1, also known as the KN-11, is the country's main submarine-launched ballistic missile. Multiple launches of the KN-11 have been carried out since 2015 while the Pukkuksong-2 was tested in February 2017.
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