North Korea’s Solid-Fuel ICBM Engine's Final Test - Image by Reuters
Overview: A new step toward long-range readiness
North Korea said it has completed the final ground test of a high-thrust solid-fuel rocket engine intended for long-range ballistic missiles. The announcement follows a Monday test personally overseen by Kim Jong Un and marks the ninth trial of this motor. Analysts view it as a substantive push toward future intercontinental launches. AP News
Specs and the programme’s direction
KCNA claims the carbon-fiber-cased engine generates 1,971 kilonewtons of thrust—stronger than past models—and is earmarked for future ICBMs, including Hwasong-20. North Korea framed the result as “eye-opening” progress and a “significant change” in force expansion. This ninth test serves as the capstone before potential flight activity. AP News
Why solid fuel matters for ICBMs
Solid propellant improves mobility, concealment, and launch readiness. It removes lengthy fueling cycles, shortens timelines, and complicates allied surveillance. Consequently, a solid-fuel ICBM force could compress warning times and stress regional missile defense postures far more than liquid-fuel systems. AP News
Timelines and likely next moves
Some experts expect a fresh ICBM demonstration by year-end. Such timing would showcase capability ahead of a major ruling party congress anticipated in early 2026, when Kim typically sets strategic priorities. Therefore, a headline-grabbing test fits the regime’s pattern of signalling around key political set pieces. AP News
Flight profiles and the re-entry question
Thus far, North Korea has flown ICBMs on steep, lofted trajectories to avoid overflying its neighbours. While these flights show impressive range potential, they reveal less about thermal and structural loads during standard reentry. Many analysts judge that re-entry vehicle reliability remains unproven, despite rapid advances in propulsion. AP CSIS
Testing what matters next
To field a credible U.S.-range deterrent, Pyongyang must prove robust heat-shield performance and accurate guidance at normal trajectories. Until then, doubts about endgame survivability will persist—even as engine power and responsiveness improve. CSIS
MIRVs, smaller missiles, and diverse launch options
Kim has called for multi-warhead (MIRV-like) progress to complicate interception while exploring smaller ICBMs for broader launch platforms, including road-mobile vehicles and potentially submarines. Efficient engines and lighter casings support these aims by improving payload fraction and integration flexibility. AP News
Allied monitoring and operational implications
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs say South Korea and the United States are closely tracking development and will assess any new flight test once it occurs. For planners, the North Korea solid-fuel ICBM engine test accelerates timelines, shortens warnings, and pressures regional sensor-shooter networks. AP News
Diplomacy after 2019—and leverage by design
Since talks with Washington collapsed in 2019, Pyongyang has expanded testing across ranges to bolster bargaining power. The North Korean solid-fuel ICBM engine test supports this leverage strategy by demonstrating credible reach and then seeking concessions from a stronger position. AP News
China, Russia, and geopolitical theatre
Pyongyang is tightening coordination with Beijing and Moscow in a partnership aimed at eroding U.S. influence. AP reporting says Kim has sent thousands of troops and large quantities of military equipment to Russia, and he recently appeared with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at a major Beijing parade. The North Korea solid-fuel ICBM engine test thus lands amid a visible great-power theatre, as Xi also called for deeper “strategic communication.” AP News
What the thrust figure really means
A 1,971 kN solid-fuel stage suggests room for heavier payloads, MIRV experiments, or faster-burn boost phases that compress intercept windows. However, survivable reentry remains the gating item for a reliable continental U.S. threat. Even so, the North Korean solid-fuel ICBM engine test materially advances propulsion and structural readiness. AP News38 North
Outlook: Prepare for a demonstration
If Pyongyang proceeds on schedule, a full-up flight could follow this “final” ground milestone. Watch for standard-trajectory data, countermeasure trials, and any MIRV signals. Meanwhile, allies will refine left-of-launch options, discrimination algorithms, and layered intercepts—the necessary counter to the North Korean solid-fuel ICBM engine test and what may come next. AP CSIS
References
- AP News—North Korea conducts its final ground test of a solid-fuel engine for long-range missiles. https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-rocket-engine-icbm-kim-jong-un-a72c2076435402c08ea57f47faac1d5f AP News
- CSIS reports that North Korea has issued a warning following its fifth ICBM test, which involved a lofted trajectory. https://www.csis.org/analysis/north-korea-warns-fifth-icbm-test CSIS
- Al Jazeera—Kim heralds new ICBM rocket engine test as ‘significant.’ https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/9/north-koreas-kim-heralds-new-icbm-rocket-engine-test-as-significant Al Jazeera
- 38 North—North Korea’s New HS-18: Solid but Incremental Contribution. https://www.38north.org/2023/04/north-koreas-new-hs-18-makes-a-solid-but-incremental-contribution-to-the-icbm-force/ 38 North
