Hwasong-12 The Hwasong-12[a] (Korean: 《화성-12》형; lit. ‘Mars Type 12’)[b] is a mobile intermediate-range ballistic missile developed by North Korea. The Hwasong-12 was first revealed to the international community in a military parade on 15 April 2017 celebrating the Day of the Sun which is the birth anniversary of North Korea’s founding president, Kim Il Sung, although the first test took place on 4 April 2017. The first successful test-fire of Hwasong-12 occurred on 14 May 2017.
Description
Based on photos of the launch on 14 May 2017, the Hwasong-12 appears to be a single-stage, liquid-fueled missile, using an engine configuration of a single combustion chamber and four vernier engines. The arrangement appears similar to the “high-thrust” engine test conducted in March 2017.[3][4] Alternatively, it could be based on the engine used in the older Hwasong-10 with the addition of two more verniers.[5] The Hwasong-12’s engine is tentatively named Paektusan, which is based on the RD-250 engine design.[6] According to Michael Elleman, the RD-250 engines were obtained through illicit channels operating in Russia and/or Ukraine; then North Korea used them as the technological base for Paektusan engines. However, Ukraine denied this theory.[7]
Initial estimates suggest the Hwasong-12 would have a maximum range from between 3,700 kilometres (2,300 mi) with a 650 kg (1,430 lb) payload and 4,500 km (2,800 mi) with a 500 kg (1,100 lb) payload to as much as 6,000 km (3,700 mi).[5][8][9] The missile is also claimed to have a circular error probable of greater than 5 km (3.1 mi).[10]
During the April 2017 military parade, the Hwasong-12 was displayed on the Hwasong-10 mobile launcher, and it may be intended to replace the similarly performing Hwasong-10 which has been shown unreliable during its test program.[11][12]
History
In October 2016, North Korea launched two ballistic missiles but failed. Initially, these launches were thought to be Hwasong-10, however, it is possible that the missiles used in the tests could be Hwasong-12. Since North Korea did not issue a press release mentioning these test-fires, it is hard to identify the missile used in these launches.[13][14]
The first test-fire of Hwasong-12 occurred on 4 April 2017.[13] As North Korea did not publish information about the launch, the missile was misreported as a Scud variant. It received the United States’s designation of KN-17.[15] On 15 April 2017, the Hwasong-12 was first revealed to the world during a military parade. The following day, a test-fire of Hwasong-12 took place. However, the launch also failed. Another failed test flight also occurred on 29 April 2017.[1]
Hwasong-12 had the first successful test flight on 14 May 2017.[16] Further test-fires occurred on 28 August and 15 September 2017.[13] Afterward, North Korea displayed Hwasong-12 during military parades on 8 February 2018 and 10 October 2020.[17][18] A further test-fire occurred on 30 January 2022.[19]
Mass production
In the press release about the January 2022 test, North Korea confirmed that the test was for evaluating the quality of serial-produced Hwasong-12 missiles.[20]
In January 2023, Korean Central Television published undated images of Kim Jong Un inspecting mass-produced Hwasong-12 missiles, with an image showing he and his daughter Kim Ju Ae assessing 26 Hwasong-12 missiles without warheads.[21]
