Hwasong (missile family)

The Hwasong (Korean: 화성; lit. Mars), or recently called Hwasongpho (화성포; lit. Mars Artillery) is a North Korean family of ballistic missile.

Description

The Hwasong means Mars in Korean. "Hwasong" also means "powerful", "innovative" or "sacrifice".^[1] However, North Korea has not clarified why they name their ballistic missiles after the planet Mars.^[2]

According to The Hankyoreh, the missiles in Hwasong series tend to be more complicated and increase in range as the designation number grows.^[2]

The Hwasong designation number also indicates the North Korea's missile development timelines.^[3]

In North Korea, Hwasong is also the name of a concentration camp.^[1]

Hwasongpho designation

The original Hwasong naming standard was changed to Hwasongpho at an unknown date. This naming standard was first confirmed in October 2021, when the Hwasongpho designations of Hwasong-11B, Hwasong-15 and Hwasong-17 were spotted, although the first usage of Hwasongpho was in 2017, when the Moranbong Band released a song named Song of Hwasong Artillery (화성포의 노래) after a successful test-fire of Hwasong-14.^[4]

List of missiles

Official designation	Korean name	External name(s)	Classfication	Description
Hwasong-1	《화성-1》형	FROG-5	Rocket artillery	Hwasong-1 is the official designation given to locally produced version of Soviet Union's FROG-5 artillery rocket.[5]
Hwasong-2	《화성-2》형	S-75	Surface-to-surface missile	Hwasong-2 is the official designation given to surface-to-surface version of S-75 Dvina surface-to-air missile.[6]
Hwasong-3	《화성-3》형	9K52 Luna-M	Rocket artillery	Hwasong-3 is the official designation given to locally produced 9K52 Luna-M artillery rockets from Soviet Union.[3]
Hwasong-4	《화성-4》형	DF-61	Short-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-4 is the official designation given to a North Korean version of DF-61, a Chinese short-range ballistic missile.[7] However, the Hwasong-4/DF-61 project was cancelled.[3]
Hwasong-5	《화성-5》형	Scud-B	Short-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-5 is a liquid-fueled, short-range ballistic missile. North Korea began testing the missile in 1984. Hwasong-5's range is estimated to be 300 km (190 mi). The Hwasong-5 was reported to be exported to other countries.[8]
Hwasong-6	《화성-6》형	Scud-C	Short-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-6 is a liquid-fueled, short-range ballistic missile. Its estimated range is 500 km (310 mi). The Hwasong-6 was reported to be exported to other countries.[9]
Hwasong-7	《화성-7》형	Rodong Nodong Rodong-1 Nodong-1 Scud-D Scud Mod-D Nodong-A	Medium-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-7 is a liquid-fueled, medium-range ballistic missile, which was first tested in May 1990. Its estimated range is 500 km (310 mi).[10]
Hwasong-8	《화성-8》형	Unknown	Medium-range ballistic missile[11]	Hwasong-8 is a liquid-fueled, medium-range ballistic missile ballistic missile, which was first tested in 27 September 2021.[11] Its estimated range is 2,000–4,000 km (1,200–2,500 mi).[12]
Hwasong-9	《화성-9》형	KN-04 Scud-ER	Medium-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-9 is a liquid-fueled, medium-range ballistic missile.[13] It is the enlarged version of Hwasong-6, with extended range, up to 1,000 km (620 mi).[14]
Hwasong-10	《화성-10》형	BM-25 Musudan	Medium-range or intermediate-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-10 is a liquid-fueled, intermediate-range ballistic missile, with an assumed range of 2,500–4,000 km (1,600–2,500 mi).[15]
Hwasong-11	《화성-11》형	KN-02 Toksa	Short-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-11 is a reverse-engineered, locally produced modification of the Soviet's OTR-21 Tochka solid-fueled, short-range ballistic missile. Its maximum range is 120–170 km (75–106 mi). It was first tested in 2006.[16]
Hwasong-11A	《화성-11가》형 《화성포-11가》형	KN-23	Short-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-11A is a single-stage, solid-fueled short-range ballistic missile that has an external resemblance to the Russian Iskander-M and South Korean Hyunmoo-2B short-range ballistic missiles,[17] with a maximum range of 900 km (560 mi).[18] Hwasong-11A made its public debut in 2018 and was first test-fired in May 2019.[19]
Hwasong-11B	《화성포-11나》형	KN-24	Short-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-11B is a single-stage, solid-fueled short-range ballistic missile that has an external resemblance to the United States's ATACMS. Hwasong-11B has a maximum range of 410 km (250 mi). It was first test-fired in August 2019.[20]
Hwasong-11C	《화성포-11다》형	KN-23A KN-23B KN-30	Short-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-11C is a single-stage, solid-fueled short-range ballistic missile that is the larger variant of Hwasong-11A with a closely similar design.[21][22] First tested in March 2021, the missile's range is assumed to be about 600 km (370 mi).[23] A larger version, called Hwasong-11C-4.5, was first test-fired in July 2024.[24]
Hwasong-11D	《화성포-11라》형	KN-35[25]	Tactical ballistic missile Short-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-11D is a single-stage, solid-fueled, short-range ballistic missile that is the smaller variant of Hwasong-11A.[26] Made its public debut in April 2022,[23] the missile's assumed range is similar to original Hwasong-11.[27]
Hwasong-11S	《화성포-11ㅅ》형	KN-33[25]	Submarine-launched ballistic missile	Hwasong-11S is a solid-fueled submarine-launched ballistic missile that is the underwater-launched variant of Hwasong-11A.[26] First displayed and first tested both in October 2021,[28][29] the missile's reported range is about 600 km (370 mi).[30]
Hwasong-12	《화성-12》형 《화성포-12》형	KN-17	Intermediate-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-12 is a liquid-fueled, intermediate-range ballistic missile that have the first successful test in May 2017, with estimated range of 4,500 km (2,800 mi).[31]
Hwasong-12A[a]	《화성-12가》형[a]	Hypersonic Missile Type 2[32]	Medium-range or intermediate-range ballistic missile[11]	Hwasong-12A is presumed to be the official designation for a North Korean single-stage, liquid-fueled, hypersonic ballistic missile.[33][34] Tested twice in January 2022,[11] the estimated range of Hwasong-12A is over 2,000 km (1,200 mi).[12]
Hwasong-12B	《화성-12나》형	Unknown	Intermediate-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-12B is a North Korean single-stage, liquid-fueled hypersonic, intermediate-range ballistic missile that was first displayed in July 2023.[22] Its range is estimated to be over 6,000 km (3,700 mi).[35]
Hwasong-13	《화성-13》형	KN-08 (2012 version) KN-14 (2015 version)	Intermediate-range or intercontinental ballistic missile	Hwasong-13 is the officially-called generic name to describe two liquid-fueled, road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles, called KN-08 and KN-14 by the United States. The two never-deployed missile variants have an estimated range of 8,000–10,000 km (5,000–6,200 mi).[36]
Hwasong-14	《화성-14》형	KN-20	Intercontinental ballistic missile	Hwasong-14 is a liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile that was tested twice in July 2017. The missile's estimated maximum range is more than 10,400 km (6,500 mi).[37]
Hwasong-15	《화성-15》형 《화성포-15》형	KN-22	Intercontinental ballistic missile	Hwasong-15 is a liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile that was first tested in November 2017. Its estimated maximum range is more than 13,000 km (8,100 mi).[38] Hwasong-15 also has a modified version, which was tested in November 2022.[39]
Hwasong-16A[a]	《화성-16가》형[a]	Unknown	Intermediate-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-16A is presumed to be the official designation for a solid-fueled hypersonic, intermediate-range ballistic missile, first tested in January 2024.[33][40][41]
Hwasong-16B	《화성포-16나》형	Unknown	Intermediate-range ballistic missile	Hwasong-16B is a two-stage, solid-fueled, intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying hypersonic glide vehicle, first tested in April 2024.[42]
Hwasong-17	《화성포-17》형	KN-27	Intercontinental ballistic missile	Hwasong-17 is a two-stage, liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile that was first displayed in October 2020 and first tested in March 2022.[43] Its estimated range is 15,000 km (9,300 mi).[44]
Hwasong-18	《화성포-18》형	Unknown	Intercontinental ballistic missile	Hwasong-18 is a three-stage, solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile that was first tested in April 2023, with an assumed range of 15,000 km (9,300 mi).[45]
Hwasong-19	《화성포-19》형	Unknown	Intercontinental ballistic missile	Hwasong-19 is a three-stage, solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile that was first tested in October 2024. Its assumed range is at least 15,000 km (9,300 mi).[46][47]

See also

• KN number
• Dongfeng (missile)

Notes

1. Presumed official designation.