On July 3, North Korea successfully flight tested a Hwasong-14  intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time. The missile flew on a lofted trajectory to a range of around 930 kilometers, and to an altitude of 2,800 kilometers. This indicates the missile’s range could be as much as 7,000 kilometers when flown on a range-maximizing ballistic trajectory, well over the 5,500 km standard to be classified as an ICBM. This range would make it capable of striking Alaska.

The missile was launched from Panghyon and traveled for 39 minutes before landing in the Sea of Japan inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. In response, South Korea and the U.S. Army carried out a joint military exercise launching both the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System and South Korea’s Hyunmoo II missiles.