WASHINGTON: The commander of US Indo-Pacific Command said that the US has "not yet" seen North Korea's atmospheric reentry capability, a key technology required for the recalcitrant regime to advance its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program.
Adm. Samuel Paparo made the remarks during a forum in Washington on Tuesday as Pyongyang has been doubling down on its quest to secure reliable long-range warhead delivery vehicles as seen in the test-launch last month of a new Hwasong-19 ICBM, Yonhap news agency reported.
"Not yet. We've not yet seen that capability, but we just see continued testing toward that, " the admiral said at the forum hosted by the Brookings Institution.
The reentry technology is required to ensure a missile's warhead can withstand extremely high temperatures during reentry to Earth's atmosphere. Despite repeated ICBM tests, it remains unknown whether Pyongyang has actually perfected the technology.
As military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow has been deepening, speculation has risen that the North could ask for military technology assistance, including ICBM-related support, in return for its troop deployment to support Russia's war in Ukraine.