All articles tagged with #missile development
Japan's Cabinet approved a record defense budget exceeding 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) for 2026, aiming to enhance its military capabilities with advanced missiles and unmanned systems amid rising tensions with China and regional security concerns, while also planning joint development of military technology and increasing defense industry support.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has indicated that the country will continue developing missiles over the next five years, emphasizing the importance of missile and shell production for national deterrence, and has ratified plans for modernizing major munitions enterprises ahead of a key party congress in early 2026.
Ukraine is secretly ramping up its domestic arms industry, producing advanced long-range cruise missiles like the Flamingo to enhance its military capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign support, despite ongoing conflict and targeted attacks on its factories.
The US Air Force successfully tested its prototype hypersonic missile, the air-launched rapid response weapon (ARRW), from a B-52 bomber, while North Korea claimed to have tested its own hypersonic weapon. Hypersonic missiles can travel at more than five times the speed of sound and approach targets from a low angle, making them difficult to detect. The slow progress of the US's hypersonic missile program has been criticized by Congress, with concerns about the development of similar programs by Russia, China, and North Korea.
North Korea claims to have successfully tested a solid-fuel engine for its new intermediate-range hypersonic missile, a development that could potentially allow the country to strike further targets in the region, including Guam. Leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test and emphasized the strategic importance of the new missile system. The country has been actively pursuing the development of technologically-advanced weaponry, including hypersonic missiles, as part of its military modernization efforts.
The latest Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test by North Korea has sparked debate over possible Russian links to the country's missile development. While some analysts argue that the visual similarities between the Hwasong-18 and Russian missiles suggest technical cooperation, others point out that North Korea has various ways of gathering technical data from other countries. A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies suggests that Russia may have transferred an advanced solid propellant ICBM to North Korea, but researchers at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies dispute this claim, citing factual inaccuracies. The United States is taking the allegations of missile cooperation between Russia and North Korea seriously, but the extent of Russian assistance remains uncertain.
The latest Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launched by North Korea, which uses solid rocket fuel, has sparked debate over a possible Russian role in the country's missile development. A report by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor suggests that the Hwasong-18 may be the result of technical cooperation with Russia. However, other analysts have pointed out factual inaccuracies in the report and highlighted that the missile's design also resembles Chinese weapons. While North Korea's missile program has historical roots in assistance from the Soviet Union and Russia, the extent of ongoing cooperation is debated. Recent sanctions designations by the US indicate that North Koreans in China and Russia procure materials and technical information for the country's missile program.
Three Russian scientists involved in the development of Russia's Kinzhal missiles have been arrested on charges of treason, sparking fear among Russian researchers. The scientists are accused of revealing state secrets on missile technology, a charge that carries up to 20 years in prison. The arrests have had a chilling effect on research, with younger scientists being deterred from pursuing similar research. The Kinzhal missiles are among the most prized weapons in the Russian military's arsenal and are often falsely described as hypersonic.