North Korea tests upgraded 240mm rocket launcher and hypersonic missile

North Korea missile test 240mm multiple rocket launcher hypersonic glide vehicle Hwasong-11Ma-1 regional security

North Korea has announced the successful testing of an upgraded 240mm multiple rocket launcher system and a new missile system featuring a hypersonic glide vehicle. The rocket tests, conducted on September 22, utilized an autonomous precision guidance system. According to state media, the rockets can reach targets at a distance of 100 km in ballistic flight mode and 115 km in a combined glide mode.

These developments follow the detection of two short-range ballistic missile launches from the eastern coast of North Korea earlier in the week. Analysts suggest the new Hwasong-11Ma-1 system is an evolution of the KN-23 design, specifically optimized to evade air defenses through its hypersonic capabilities.

Pak Jong-chon, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, emphasized the necessity of concentrating lethal and destructive attack forces along the southern border. Experts note that the increased precision and range of these systems pose a significant threat to key facilities in the Seoul metropolitan area, potentially extending the reach of North Korean artillery to include major U.S. military bases in South Korea.

Entities

KCNA · Kim Jong Un · Korean Central News Agency · North Korea · North Korea · Pak Jong Chon · Pak Jong-chon · South Korea · South Korea

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 16 SOURCES] North Korea conducted tests of an upgraded 240mm multiple rocket launcher system on September 22, 2026. www.nouvelles-du-monde.com · biz.heraldcorp.com · www.koreatimes.co.kr · www.mbn.co.kr · www.tvn-2.com · +11 more
[DISPUTED] South Korean forces detected two short-range ballistic missile launches from the North Korean eastern coast. cosmoschronicle.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The Hwasong-11Ma-1 is an evolution of the KN-23 design optimized to evade air defenses. cosmoschronicle.com · tvfront.rs
[● 3 SOURCES] North Korea also tested a new missile system incorporating a hypersonic glide vehicle. cosmoschronicle.com · tvfront.rs · newsweek.ro
[● 15 SOURCES] The rockets can reach 100 km in ballistic flight mode and 115 km in combined glide mode. www.nouvelles-du-monde.com · biz.heraldcorp.com · www.koreatimes.co.kr · www.mbn.co.kr · www.tvn-2.com · +10 more
[DISPUTED] The South Korean military detected several rocket launches from the North Pyongan area toward the West Sea on September 22. biz.heraldcorp.com · www.mbn.co.kr
[● 14 SOURCES] The rockets feature an autonomous precision guidance system. www.nouvelles-du-monde.com · biz.heraldcorp.com · www.koreatimes.co.kr · www.mbn.co.kr · www.tvn-2.com · +9 more
[● 15 SOURCES] Pak Jong-chon stressed the need to concentrate the deadliest and most destructive attack forces on the southern border. www.nouvelles-du-monde.com · biz.heraldcorp.com · www.koreatimes.co.kr · www.mbn.co.kr · www.tvn-2.com · +10 more
[● 2 SOURCES] The test was conducted on September 22 at a defense science research institute. baoquocte.vn · www.mbn.co.kr
[● 3 SOURCES] Ko Pyong-hyon, Chairman of the Second Economic Committee, directed the test. thanhnien.vn · www.tvn-2.com · biz.heraldcorp.com