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North Korea tests cluster warhead for its short-range ballistic missiles

State media said the warhead could devastate an area of up to 13 hectares and that units would be able to use the new weapons by the end of the year.

By Newsheir Staff, Newsroom

· 1 min read

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In this article
  1. What North Korea claims
  2. What cluster munitions are
  3. A week of launches

North Korea says it has tested a new cluster warhead for its short-range ballistic missiles, in what state media called a "major" weapons test.

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sunday, November 1, that research institutes under the country's Missile Administration tested a "Type-2 standard cluster warhead" on Saturday.

What North Korea claims

According to KCNA, the test confirmed the warhead could devastate a target area of about 12 to 13 hectares, or about 30 acres, at "ultra-high density". Images released with the report showed Hwasong-11D short-range ballistic missiles being launched and warheads striking an island target.

North Korea said it would equip its military units with all types of the bombs by the end of 2026, depending on their operational purposes. Leader Kim Jong Un did not attend; the test was overseen by a general.

The claims could not be independently verified.

What cluster munitions are

Cluster munitions release dozens or hundreds of smaller bomblets over a wide area. They are effective against troops, vehicles and airfields, but are widely criticised because unexploded bomblets can kill civilians long after a conflict ends. More than 100 countries have signed a treaty banning them, though North Korea, South Korea and the United States are not among them.

Fitted to short-range ballistic missiles, which fly fast and on low trajectories that are hard to intercept, cluster warheads could threaten military bases and other targets in South Korea.

A week of launches

The test came days after North Korea fired around 10 ballistic missiles on Thursday, October 29, a launch that coincided with a visit to South Korea by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Tensions between the two Koreas have been high.

North Korea has steadily expanded and diversified its missile arsenal in recent years in defiance of United Nations Security Council resolutions, which ban it from developing ballistic missiles. Analysts say tests like this are designed to improve its ability to strike South Korean and US forces in a conflict, and to signal strength to Seoul and Washington.

Sources and references

  1. 1.North Korea fires off cluster bomb warheads in latest 'major' weapons test — The Japan Times
  2. 2.North Korea says defence research institutes tested major weapon system — The Star
  3. 3.North Korea tests tactical ballistic missile cluster warhead — The Express Tribune

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