North Korea Reportedly Test Fires New ‘Tactical’ Weapon

North Korea tested a new tactical weapon on Wednesday.

State media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) first reported the news.

Reuters reports:

KCNA did not describe exactly what the weapon is, including whether it was a missile or another type of weapon, but “tactical” implies a short-range weapon, as opposed to the long-range ballistic missiles that have been seen as a threat to the United States.

Nevertheless, the weapon has a “peculiar mode of guiding flight” and “a powerful warhead,” KCNA said.

KCNA also reported Kim Jong Un saying this about the test: “The completion of the development of the weapon system serves as an event of very weighty significance in increasing the combat power.”

CNN’s Will Ripley said the tactical test was aimed at getting President Donald Trump’s attention.

“Things are not excellent for the North Koreans. They have a lot of sanctions. They’re hurting their economy and they are desperate to get the attention of the United States,” he explained. “But they don’t want to push to the point that they derail all the diplomatic progress they made so far. So, what to they do? They don’t launch a missile, not a satellite, at least not yet. But they conduct what they call a tactical weapons test…This is really a ploy to get the president’s attention.”

The test is the first since Trump’s failed summit with Kim.

Watch above, via CNN

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