An intercontinental ballistic missile that North Korea said could reach the « whole » mainland of the United States likely broke up upon re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere, a US official said Saturday.
Coupled with the rogue regime’s need to master missile guidance and targeting, the re-entry failure underscores the challenges facing the country’s weapons program, according to the official.
Still, the ability of the new missile to fly higher and longer than others in the past signals the program’s intent to develop weapons capable of attacking the US.
While some US military officials have referred to the missile launched Tuesday as a « KN 22 » — a designation signaling the launch involves a new type of ICBM — other officials urge caution in categorizing the missile.
So far, US officials believe the latest test involved a single missile in the inventory, and that future launches will likely include missiles with modifications.
