Hwasong-16B

🇰🇵Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
North Korea
2024 – Present
Overview
Hwasong-16B - Image 1
Hwasong-16B - Image 2
Hwasong-16B - Image 3
The Hwasong-16B (Korean: 화성포-16형) is an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) developed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). It was first test-launched on April 2, 2024. The Hwasong-16B is the third North Korean ballistic missile capable of carrying a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), following the Hwasong-8 and Hwasong-12B. It is also the country’s first solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile. The missile uses a two-stage solid-fuel propulsion system. It is estimated to be approximately 21 meters in length and 2.1 meters in diameter, with a maximum range of about 3,000 to 5,500 kilometers. Its top speed is estimated to reach between Mach 15 and Mach 18. Operated by the Korean People's Army Strategic Force, the Hwasong-16B is designed for strategic deterrence and long-range strike missions, and is capable of delivering either nuclear or conventional warheads against targets at significant distances.
Specifications

General

Basingroad-mobile
Stages2
Length M21 m
Range Km4,500 km
Speed Kmh22,000 km/h
Propulsionsolid
Speed Mach15 Mach
Launch Weight Tonnes100 tonnes
Research Notes

North Korean hypersonic-capable intermediate-range missile

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Hwasong-16B is described by CSIS as an emerging North Korean missile associated with a hypersonic glide vehicle payload.

Hwasong-16B is part of North Korea's newer missile-development cycle, separate from the earlier liquid-fueled ICBM sequence. Open-source assessments describe it as an intermediate-range ballistic missile associated with a hypersonic glide vehicle payload. That places it in a different mission category from Hwasong-14, Hwasong-15, Hwasong-17, and Hwasong-18, which are discussed primarily as ICBMs.

Glide-vehicle payload changes the interception problem

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The system's significance comes from maneuvering-payload claims rather than simply longer ballistic range.

The Hwasong-16B story is less about maximum ballistic range and more about the payload concept. A hypersonic glide vehicle can complicate tracking and interception if it can maneuver after boost phase, though the effectiveness of any specific system depends on tested performance and guidance maturity. Public information is still developing, so the page should separate reported claims from confirmed deployment evidence.

Emerging capability with high uncertainty

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Hwasong-16B is strategically relevant, but its operational status should be described cautiously.

For readers, Hwasong-16B is best framed as an emerging and politically significant capability rather than a fully characterized production weapon. It signals North Korea's interest in maneuvering reentry and regional strike options that may stress missile defenses. The most useful HiWars treatment is to note the capability direction while making clear that public data remains limited.

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