North Korea tests new solid-fuel engine for ICBMs

North Korea conducts ground test of carbon-fiber solid-fuel engine on Sept. 8, with leader Kim Jong Un in attendance in this photo released by the official [North] Korean Central News Agency the following day. YonhapSEOUL, September 9 (AJP) - North Korea tested a new high-thrust solid-fuel engine for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), state media reported on Tuesday.

According to the state-run [North] Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the reclusive country "conducted another ground jet test of a high-thrust solid-fuel engine using composite carbon fiber material," with its leader Kim Jong-un inspecting the test.

KCNA said it was the "ninth ground jet test" of its kind and the "last one in the development process," capable of producing a maximum thrust of 1,971 kilonewtons, which is roughly equivalent to lifting 200 tons of weight.

Kim praised the test as a “success assuming the most strategic nature in the recent modernization of defense technology," adding that it signals a "significant change in expanding and strengthening the nuclear strategic forces" of North Korea.

Tuesday's test came about a week after KCNA hinted at a "new-type solid-fuel engine" intended for its Hwasong series of ICBMs, which it claims could reach the U.S. mainland.

Earlier this month, the state media suggested the new solid motor is the "new-type solid-fuel engine" will be used in "the next-generation ICBM" Hwasong-20 as well as in the ICBM Hwasong-19, which it claimed would be capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.  

Traditional solid-fuel motors use hardened propellant that enables rapid launch but rely on heavy metal shells that limit performance. A carbon-fiber composite shell makes the engine lighter, enables more fuel to be carried, and generate greater thrust, a key upgrade for long-range ICBMs.

Shin Seung-ki, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), told Aju Press that Pyongyang has already reached sufficient range with its ICBMs and is now working to increase thrust to carry more warheads. "They are aiming to carry more warheads so that the U.S. will feel more threatened." With a 200-ton thrust level, he estimated the missile could carry five to six warheads, compared to about 10 on U.S. ICBMs. "From Washington's perspective, this inevitably poses a greater threat," he added.

North Korea has already unveiled several ICBMs capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, including the Hwasong-15 in 2017, the larger Hwasong-17 in 2022 and the Hwasong-19 in 2024, which experts saw as a precursor to the Hwasong-20.
Cheon Soram 기자 cheons@ajupress.com