North Korea Tests Upgraded Hypersonic Short-Range Ballistic Missile on September 20, 2026

On September 20, 2026 North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles from the east coast near Anbyon County. State media showed leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju-Ae watching a screen labeled “Hwasongpho-11Ma-1 flight trajectory,” which listed a flight time of 446.1 seconds, a velocity of 2,146 m/s (?4,800 mph), an altitude of 35.8 km, and a distance of 908.2 km. KCNA called the test a “new-type weapon” of “great significance” for the Korean People’s Army.

North Korea touts hypersonic missile as ‘incurable headache’ for enemies North Korea Tests New Weapons System as Photos Point to Hypersonic Missile North Korea Confirms Hypersonic Missile Test; Kim Jong-un Calls It 'Incurable Headache for Enemies'

The Hwasong-11 family (KN-23 series) has appeared in Pyongyang since an October 2025 defense exhibition. Earlier variants used five-axle TELs; the September launch used a six-axle TEL with retractable covers, indicating an iterative design. North Korea has claimed hypersonic glide-vehicle tests since at least 2021, though external analysts note verification challenges.

North Korea Tests New Hwasong-11Ma Hypersonic Missile

• Speed: 2,146 m/s (?4,800 mph) – hypersonic regime.

North Korea Tests New Hwasong-11Ma Hypersonic Missile

• Maximum altitude (displayed): 35.8 km.

Janes Information Group

• Distance shown: 908.2 km.

North Korea touts hypersonic missile as ‘incurable headache’ for enemies

• South Korean JCS measurements: first missile ? 450 km, second ? 600 km.

North Korea touts hypersonic missile as ‘incurable headache’ for enemies

• Japanese MOD measurements: ranges ? 440 km and ? 590 km; altitudes ? 60 km and ? 70 km.

North Korea touts hypersonic missile as ‘incurable headache’ for enemies

• Launch times: first launch around 3:00 p.m. local time; second a few hours later.

North Korea test-launches ballistic missiles, South Korea and Japan say

• Kim Jong Un (KCNA): the test demonstrated “ultra-modern defense technology” that would give adversaries “an incurable headache.”

North Korea touts new weapon system test

• South Korea’s JCS (spokesperson Jang Do-young): the missiles were short-range ballistic projectiles; North Korean telemetry “cannot be 100 % trusted.”

North Korea Tests New Weapons System as Photos Point to Hypersonic Missile

• U.S. Pacific Command: the launches did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, and the United States remains committed to regional defense.

North Korea test-launches ballistic missiles, South Korea and Japan say

South Korean JCS spokesperson Jang Do-young warned that North Korean range claims “cannot be 100 % trusted.” Yonhap analysts suggested Pyongyang’s telemetry may be inflated and called for rigorous scrutiny of the data.

North Korea Tests New Weapons System as Photos Point to Hypersonic Missile

North Korean imagery lists a flight distance of 908.2 km, while South Korean and Japanese tracking recorded maximum ranges of roughly 450 km and 600 km. Analysts attribute the discrepancy to differing measurement methods or possible data manipulation; independent verification of the glide trajectory remains lacking.

North Korea Tests New Hwasong-11Ma Hypersonic Missile

The Hwasongpho-11Ma-1 pairs a solid-fuel SRBM booster with an unpowered hypersonic glide vehicle, creating a low-altitude, maneuverable flight path that challenges existing missile-defense systems. If operational, it could enable rapid strikes across the Korean Peninsula while evading conventional radar and interceptors, raising strategic concerns for South Korea, Japan, the United States, and regional security architectures.

North Korea Tests New Hwasong-11Ma Hypersonic Missile

• “North Korea even disclosed the test results, including the range and warhead altitude, to demonstrate its low-altitude gliding capabilities,” — Shin Jong-woo, Korea Defense and Security Forum

North Korea touts hypersonic missile as ‘incurable headache’ for enemies

• “To acquire such a technology is of weighty significance in the state's readiness for war and the future development of the armed forces” — YONHAP Kim, general secretary

North Korea touts hypersonic missile as ‘incurable headache’ for enemies