On September 27, the U.S. Defense Department announced the successful flight test of its Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC), a scramjet-propelled hypersonic missile. In the test, conducted the week of September 19, the hydrocarbon-fueled missile successfully released from an aircraft before cruising to speeds over Mach 5. HAWC is a DARPA-U.S. Air Force technology demonstration...
On September 17, the U.S. Navy launched two unarmed Trident II D5 Life Extended (LE) submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) in a scheduled flight test in waters off Cape Canaveral, Florida. The missiles, launched from Ohio-class submarine USS Wyoming (SSBN-742), landed in the Atlantic Ocean within the U.S. Eastern Test Range instrumented complex. The launches mark...
On September 15, North Korea test fired two short-range ballistic missiles from a train, which travelled 800 km before landing in the sea within Japan’s exclusive economic zone. The rail-based missile, while not named, visually resembled the KN-23 SRBM, which North Korea last tested in 2019. Earlier on September 13, North Korean state media announced the...
In a September 15 release, South Korea announced successful flight tests of new ballistic, cruise, and antiship missiles. Alongside a recent submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test, South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development successfully launched a subsonic air-launched cruise missile, a supersonic antiship missile, and an “improved version” of its Hyunmoo-2/4-series ballistic missiles with “dramatically increased”...
On September 15, South Korea announced it successfully flight tested the country’s first submarine-launched ballistic missile. South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD) reportedly carried out ejection tests of the missile from an underwater barge and a Dosan Ahn Changho-class submarine in August and early September, respectively. According to South Korean media sources, the SLBM...
On August 23, Israel’s Ministry of Defense announced successful flight tests of the Iron Dome missile defense system with the United States. The test took place at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico and demonstrated the first of two Iron Dome batteries configured for U.S. Army service under the Interim Fire Protection Capability (IFPC)...
On Aug 12, Pakistan successfully flight-tested a Ghaznavi short-range ballistic missile (SRBM). In a press release, Pakistan’s military said the launch successfully “re-validat[ed] technical parameters of the weapon system.” The Ghaznavi, derived from China’s DF-11, entered Pakistani service in 2004. Related Links: Pakistan today conducted a training launch of surface to surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi.,...
On August 11, the U.S. Air Force test-launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in southern California. The test, designated Glory Trip-239, was successful with a test reentry vehicle landing 6,700 km downrange near Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. USAF officials said the launch was “not a...
On July 24, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) attempted an intercept test against two short-range ballistic missile targets in waters northwest of Hawaii. During the test, USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 14) fired four SM-6 Dual II interceptors at the incoming ballistic missiles, intercepting one target. In a statement, the MDA noted it “[could not]...
On July 4, South Korea‘s navy flight tested a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from a submerged platform. According to unnamed officials, the test was successful. The missile is thought to share design characteristics with the ground-launched Hyunmoo-2B. South Korea began developing the SLBM in 2016 or earlier. Related Links: South Korea’s Mysterious Submarine-Launched Ballistic...
