The DPRK conducted exercises with a unit of the Korean People's Army's (KPA) Leading Fire Strike Group to launch hypersonic missiles, APA reports citing Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"On January 4, a unit of the KPA's leading fire strike group conducted exercises to launch hypersonic missiles," the text states.
As specified, the exercises, aimed at assessing the combat readiness of the hypersonic weapons system and verifying and confirming its mission capability, were conducted as part of an operational assessment of the effectiveness and mobility of war deterrence forces. The agency also noted that hypersonic missiles launched from one of Pyongyang's regions in a northeastern direction and traveled 1,000 kilometers to strike designated targets in the East Sea.
According to KCNA, North Korean Chairman of State Kim Jong-un observed the firing exercises. "It can be confirmed that today's launch exercises accomplished a very important defense-technical task. The missile crews fully demonstrated the combat readiness of the republic's nuclear armed forces <...>," he noted.According to Kim Jong-un, significant progress has been made recently in preparing North Korea's nuclear forces for combat operations. "This potential is the fruit of the Party's commitment to defense development and the policy of prioritizing defense science and technology, as well as the invaluable achievements of our outstanding scientific and technical team," he added.
