North Korea conducted combustion testing for the engine of a mobile long-range missile presumed only a day before its third nuclear test last week, it has emerged. The missile is presumed to be the KN-08, an intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 5,000 to 6,000 km. It was unveiled in a military parade on nation founder Kim Il-sung's 100th birthday on April 15 last year, but was then largely believed to have been a fake. The engine test suggests it was a little more than that.
A South Korean government official said the North carried out combustion testing at a missile launch site in Tongchang-ri, North Pyongan Province on Feb. 11. Since late 2011, the North has conducted several engine combustion tests for long-range rockets or new missiles but most failed until early last year. The North launched space rockets in April and December as an apparent cover to test ICBM technology.
A South Korean military source speculated, "It seems that the North intentionally conducted the test to coincide with the time when a U.S. reconnaissance satellite was monitoring the Tongchang-ri test site, apparently with the aim of improving negotiation leverage.
The KN-08 is estimated to be 18 m long and 2 m in diameter, about 6 m longer in length and 50 cm thicker than the Musudan missile, whose range is 3,000 to 4,000 km and already deployed warfare-ready. The KN-08's range is likely to cover Alaska and Hawaii.
In the parade last year, it was carried on a mobile launch platform made in China, whereas previous long-range rockets are launched from large fixed launch pads.