#ballistic missiles

#ballistic missiles

The Hyunmoo-5 is a ballistic missile weighing about 36 tonnes that can reportedly carry an eight-tonne warhead. It carries a bunker buster warhead, potentially able to reach deep underground to destroy heavily fortified bunkers where North Korean leaders might shelter in a conflict. It is understood to be about 16 metres long, and is designed as a surface-to-surface missile, capable of being launched from a mobile platform.

The air raid sirens screamed first, their wail cutting through the nighttime hush, keening danger. Then came the low whine of drones. Over cities of sleeping people, the Iranian-designed Shahed drones swarmed, their dark bellies crammed with explosives. At their approach, Ukraine's air defenses fired up, a stream of bullets disappearing into the stars, rat-tat-tat, followed by the bang of explosions. But still the drones came, too many to shoot down.

It's been quite extraordinary that actually so few have gotten through. Now, of course, only one ballistic missile needs to get through the layered air defense system in order to cause terrible casualties and potential devastation.