Two unidentified senior Ukrainian sources, one military the other a politician, cited by Reuters said that North Korean ballistic missiles fired against Ukraine by Russia’s have become noticeably more accurate in recent weeks.
Between the first confirmed Russian use of North Korean provided Hwasong-11A (US/NATO: KN-23/24) ballistic missiles at the end of 2023 and the beginning of last December Moscow used around 80 of them which were considered very much a hit and miss addition to Russia’s arsenal.
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According to the unnamed Ukrainian sources the 20 or so missiles fired since late December have shown a sudden, marked improvement in their accuracy – with the majority now hitting within 50-100 meters (160-320 feet) of the intended target compared with previous 1-3 kilometers (0.6-1.9 miles).
The conclusion that several military analysts have drawn from this is that North Korea has successfully used the performance data gathered during its use against Ukraine over the past year to test and improve its missile technology. Others speculate that it is not purely down to work on the technology but that actual experience gained on the battlefield may have contributed to the performance uplift.
The Ukrainian military source was quoted as saying that analysis of post-attack debris had not revealed any changes in missile design. The source said that better targeting could have been achieved with the use of a better navigation system or adjustments to the steering mechanism.
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Yang Uk a weapons expert from Seoul’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies said that, in addition to an upgrade to its navigation system, greater accuracy could have resulted from improved availability of better targeting information as well as operational data and experience.
The KN-23 resembles the Russian Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) with a range of around 450-500 kilometers (280-312 miles) when fitted with a nominal 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) warhead. It can be fitted with either a unitary high explosive, cluster munition or even nuclear payload.
Yang also said these improvements in North Korean missile capability “… can have a major impact on stability in the region and the world.” The proving of North Korea’s missiles in real combat gives Pyongyang greater credibility both in its threats against South Korea, Japan and even the United States along with an opportunity to sell weapons, particularly to “failed” states or armed groups.
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