North Korea is testing hypersonic weapons. Should the West be worried?
The U.S., Russia and China all have them. And now, North Korea claims to as well: hypersonic weapons.
These aerial vehicles go a step further than the kind of ballistic missiles that Pyongyang has periodically tested over the years. They can fly fast and maneuver in ways that make them extremely difficult to detect and destroy.
It's a developmental leap that North Korea appears to have quickly bridged. If fully realized, the new capability could present a significant challenge to U.S.- and South Korean-based missile defense systems.
This week Pyongyang conducted several ballistic missile tests, including more of a hypersonic missile, thought to be either a further development of the Hwasong-8 it first launched in September, or possibly an entirely new weapon.
The Biden administration responded on Wednesday with its first sanctions on the Northeast Asian nation — against several North Korean nationals, a Russian helped Pyongyang "illegally procure goods for weapons." Four of the sanctioned North Koreans are living in China.
