North Korean IBM Could Reach Any Target In US If It Flew Standard Trajectory - Reports

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th July, 2023) The range of the intercontinental ballistic missile (IBM) launched by North Korea earlier on Wednesday could fly up to 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles) and hit any point in US territory if it flew a standard trajectory, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported, citing the Japanese Defense Ministry.

The report said that it was the 14th launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile with a range over 5,500 kilometers since 2017 and the fourth such launch this year.

Moreover, the missile reportedly flew a record 74 minutes, with the flight altitude estimated at 6,000 kilometers and the range reaching 1,000 kilometers. The missile was launched at 00:59 GMT and fell outside the exclusive economic zone of Japan at 02:13 GMT, 250 kilometers from Japan's Okushiri Island, according to reports, citing Japanese and South Korean military.

Japan has lodged a protest to North Korea after the missile launch and convened a meeting of the national security council.