Throughout this week there were several news items at once about North Korea's new missile development designated Hwasong-11Ma-1. First data appeared that on September 20, 2026 North Korean regime tested unknown KN-23 variant that can now reach altitude of 60-70 km, and this may be for complicating Patriot interception.
Subsequently it became known that same September 20, 2026 North Korea first tested Hwasong-11Ma-1 hypersonic missile beyond 900 km, whose interception capability is under question.
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Initially picture looked like DPRK tested two different weapons samples on same day. But further, as Janes agency writes, it was specifically Hwasong-11Ma-1 testing that corresponding Japanese and South Korean structures recorded, meaning only one missile type was tested there.
At same time, Janes also provides estimated Hwasong-11Ma-1 parameters: body length is 9.6 meters, launch mass is as much as 9.8 tons, body diameter is 1.1 meters. For launch, separate mobile six-axle launcher was used, on which only one Hwasong-11Ma-1 could be placed.
Recorded launch range was 908 kilometers, with majority of distance covered specifically by warhead-glider flight, whose presence enables calling Hwasong-11Ma-1 a classical hypersonic missile.
Worth recalling first presentation of North Korean Hwasong-11Ma-1 occurred back in October 2025, meaning for some reasons DPRK was forced to wait nearly a year before conducting first launch of this product.
North Korea already has medium-range ballistic missile with hypersonic glider — Hwasong-16B, first known about since 2024. Against this backdrop, question arises about what parameters DPRK plans to bring Hwasong-11Ma-1 to.
Answer to this question may specifically determine perspective of whether North Korea will be ready to transfer to russia its essentially hypersonic Iskander variant.
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