© Reuters. A general view of missile launchers during the parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the Korean People’s Army at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, February 8, 2023. Maxar Technology/Handout via REUTERS
By Josh Smith
SEOUL (Reuters) – Nuclear-armed North Korea unveiled what could be a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) during an evening parade, analysts said on Thursday, citing commercial satellite imagery.
North Korea held the long-awaited nighttime military parade on Wednesday, an event expected to display the country’s latest weapons to mark the anniversary of its army’s founding.
The country’s state media had not reported on the parade until Wednesday night, but satellite images from US firm Maxar Technologies (NYSE:) showed military vehicles and crowds in Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square.
Among the systems on display was the country’s largest ICBM, the Hwasong-17, followed by what some analysts say could be a new solid-fuel ICBM.
“After the apparent pairs of Hwasong-17 ICBMs are four unidentified but apparently similar-sized encapsulated systems,” Joseph Dempsey, a defense researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said on Twitter.
Ankit Panda of the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said the encapsulated ICBM could be one seen during a 2017 parade, and has so far not been tested.
Most of the country’s largest ballistic missiles use liquid fuel, which requires them to be loaded with propellant at the launch site, a time-consuming process.
The development of a solid-fueled ICBM has long been seen as a key goal for the country, as it could make its nuclear missiles harder to detect and destroy during a conflict.
It’s unclear how close the suspected new missile might be to the test. North Korea has sometimes displayed models at parades.
The country has pushed ahead with its ballistic missile program, launching larger and more advanced missiles than ever before, despite United Nations Security Council resolutions and sanctions.