Recently, North Korea announced the introduction of two new missiles into service, indicating they are intended for air defense and possess a “proportional” combat capability. So, what do we know about Pyongyang’s missile arsenal?

Earlier this week, North Korea launched two new air defense missiles, with the government stating they have “superior combat capability” able to destroy “various aerial targets,” such as attack drones and cruise missiles.

However, the report from the Korean Central News Agency did not elaborate on the missiles, only stating that their operation and response rely on unique and special technology. The location of the test was also not mentioned.

This month, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a report confirming that North Korea has built a series of undisclosed missile operating bases, noting these bases are not part of any arms limitation or nuclear/missile threat reduction agreements.

The center suggested that the Sinpung-dong missile base, located 27 kilometers from the Chinese border, may contain between six and nine intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) of the Hwasong-15 or Hwasong-18 types with their launchers or carriers.

Hwasong-15 Missile

The Hwasong-15 missile, also known as KN-22, is 22.5 meters long and can reach targets up to 13,000 kilometers away.

In 2017, Pyongyang launched the missile, which flew for 53 minutes covering 4,475 kilometers before landing off the coast of Japan, according to media reports. Since then, it has been under development.

During the first test, reports indicated it carried a “super-large heavy warhead capable of striking the entire US mainland.”

It is believed that advanced generations of the Hwasong-15, such as the Hwasong-18, operate on solid fuel. The Arms Control Association states these have several advantages, including short launch times, ease of handling and storage, and the ability to launch smaller missiles.

North Korea also possesses Hwasong-19 missiles, which it tested and launched for the first time last November in response to what North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described as “provocations” from South Korea and the United States.

Other bases highlighted by the CIA in its report include the Kal-gol base, about 52 kilometers north of the Demilitarized Zone with South Korea, said to house the Hwasong-6 missile with a range of 500 kilometers.

This short-range missile, in service since 1991, is about 10.9 meters long and can carry a payload of up to 770 kilograms.

Several other countries also use it, including Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Vietnam, and Yemen, according to CSIS.

The report explains that other missile bases in North Korea could be equipped with the Hwasong-9 missile, an upgraded version of the Hwasong-6, with extended range to reach farther targets while retaining the same design and warhead capacity.

The missile, which is 13.5 meters long, has a range of about 1,000 kilometers, weighs 6,400 kilograms at launch, and carries a single warhead that can be conventional high-explosive, nuclear, chemical, or biological.

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) expects that despite UN-imposed international sanctions on the country due to its missile program, Pyongyang intends to equip various missiles with nuclear warheads.

In 2024, the federation estimated North Korea has enough material to produce up to 90 nuclear warheads, though the actual number may be lower, around 50 warheads.