North Korea advances Hwasong-16B hypersonic missile toward strike capability after launch drill.

North Korea conducted a launch training exercise with its Hwasong-16B hypersonic missile on January 4, 2026, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The drill underscores Pyongyang’s push to field advanced strike systems as part of a credible war deterrence posture.

North Korean military units assigned to the Korean People’s Army main firepower strike group carried out a launch training exercise involving the Hwasong-16B hypersonic missile earlier this month, state media reported. The Korean Central News Agency said the event, observed in person by leader Kim Jong-un, was designed to assess combat readiness, mission execution capability, and the reliability of the country’s strategic deterrent, suggesting the missile is transitioning from development into operational deployment.
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The Hwasong-16B, also referred to in some North Korean documentation as the Hwasong-16Na1, represents the country’s first solid-fueled intermediate-range ballistic missile. (Picture source: KCNA)

The missile was launched northeast from the Rippo District near Pyongyang and struck a designated target approximately 1,000 kilometers away in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. This distance aligns closely with the flight profiles recorded during previous Hwasong-16B tests, reinforcing assessments that the January 4 event was designed as a realistic mission rehearsal rather than a maximum-range demonstration. North Korean media framed the drill as a comprehensive evaluation of the sustainability and effectiveness of deterrence forces, including the speed of force activation and the proficiency of missile troops under simulated combat conditions.

The Hwasong-16B, also referred to in some North Korean documentation as the Hwasong-16Na1, represents the country’s first solid-fueled intermediate-range ballistic missile. Measuring approximately 21 meters in length with a diameter of 2.1 meters, the missile uses a two-stage solid-propellant booster and is deployed from a road-mobile transporter erector launcher. It is cold-launched by a gas generator, a method that reduces stress on the missile and TEL while allowing rapid launch sequences. The transition to solid fuel marks a significant shift from earlier liquid-fueled Hwasong systems, such as the Hwasong-15, and provides a clear operational advantage by enabling missiles to remain stored in a fueled state, sharply reducing launch preparation time and vulnerability to preemptive strikes.

In its current configuration, the Hwasong-16B is assessed to be capable of carrying either a maneuverable reentry vehicle or a hypersonic glide vehicle payload, with the latter intended to complicate interception by missile defense systems through sustained lateral maneuvering at hypersonic speeds. During its first officially acknowledged test on April 2, 2024, North Korean state media described the missile as being equipped with a newly developed hypersonic glide vehicle, reporting a 1,000-kilometer flight that included a pull-up maneuver to a second apogee before terminal descent. Subsequent tests in January 2025, confirmed by South Korean, Japanese, and U.S. tracking, recorded a similar range of approximately 1,100 kilometers and an apogee near 100 kilometers.

The January 4, 2026 training launch appears to replicate these established parameters, suggesting that North Korea is prioritizing reliability, repeatability, and troop proficiency over headline-grabbing range extensions. Analysts note that while the Hwasong-16B has so far only been flown on trajectories around 1,000 to 1,100 kilometers, its two-stage solid booster is consistent with systems typically classified as intermediate-range ballistic missiles, which are generally defined as having ranges between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometers. Whether the missile can achieve such distances while carrying a hypersonic glide vehicle remains uncertain, particularly given the energy demands of sustained maneuvering.

From an operational standpoint, the integration of the Hwasong-16B into regular training cycles marks a notable evolution in North Korea’s missile forces. The emphasis placed by state media on mastering firepower operation skills and validating mission execution suggests that missile units are being drilled on command and control procedures, TEL mobility, and rapid launch operations under realistic conditions. Kim Jong-un’s presence at the exercise reinforces the interpretation that the system is now considered a credible component of the country’s strategic strike arsenal rather than a developmental showcase.

Strategically, the demonstrated ability to accurately strike targets at 1,000 kilometers with a maneuverable or hypersonic payload poses a growing challenge for regional missile defense architectures deployed by the United States, South Korea, and Japan. Even if the Hwasong-16B’s practical range with a hypersonic glide vehicle remains closer to medium-range classifications, its solid-fuel readiness, road mobility, and advanced payload options significantly complicate detection, tracking, and interception timelines. The January 4 exercise therefore serves not only as a technical validation but also as a calculated signal that North Korea’s deterrence forces are being trained, exercised, and prepared for rapid employment in a crisis.