The recent launch demonstrates North Korea’s ability to quickly and secretly prepare missiles for launch.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sharply condemned the launches, which came as the United States and its ally South Korea were conducting joint military drills, calling them a “new threat” from North Korea.
Although North Korea vowed in January to soon test an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U. S. mainland, analysts said the latest missiles launches appeared to be of extended-range Scuds capable of traveling around 1,000 km.
But the launch of several missiles in quick succession without detection was still seen by analysts as a significant step forward for the regime’s missile capabilities.
“This was pretty much a major development because it shows their capability of moving these missiles, fueling, and firing in a short amount of time,” Hunt said.
Hunt also noted that the missiles were fired with enough accuracy for three of them to land close together in the sea.
