North Korea launches Hwasong-11 Ra missile

A missile test was observed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on April 19, 2026, as the nation fired the Hwasong-11 Ra tactical ballistic missile from an undisclosed site to evaluate the effectiveness and features of both a cluster bomb warhead and a fragmentation mine warhead, in this image shared by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the next day. Kim expressed contentment with the missile's warhead performance, as reported by KCNA, following the identification of multiple short-range missiles launched by South Korea's military towards the East Sea from North Korea's Sinpho area at around 6:10 a.m. (Yonhap via NationPress)

North Korea performed a missile test of the Hwasong-11 Ra on April 19, 2026, from an undisclosed location to verify the effectiveness and design of both a cluster bomb warhead and a fragmentation mine warhead utilized in the tactical ballistic missile, shown in this photo released the next day by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency. Kim Jong-un observed the test and conveyed his approval of the missile's warhead performance as reported by KCNA, following South Korea's military detection of several short-range ballistic missiles launched towards the East Sea around 6:10 a.m. from North Korea's Sinpho area. (Yonhap via NationPress)

Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, is seen (C) overseeing the test launch of the Hwasong-11 Ra surface-to-surface tactical ballistic missile at an undisclosed site on April 19, 2026, to assess the properties and effectiveness of a cluster bomb warhead and a fragmentation mine warhead used in the missile, depicted in this image released the day following by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Kim expressed his approval of the missile's warhead capabilities, as reported by KCNA, after South Korea's military detected the launch of several short-range ballistic missiles directed towards the East Sea from the Sinpho area of North Korea at approximately 6:10 a.m. (Yonhap via NationPress)

On April 19, 2026, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) supervised the test-firing of the Hwasong-11 Ra tactical ballistic missile from an undisclosed site to assess the properties and capabilities of a cluster bomb warhead and fragmentation mine warhead associated with the missile, as shown in this image shared the next day by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Kim conveyed satisfaction with the missile's warhead capabilities, as stated by KCNA, a day after South Korea's military identified the launch of several short-range ballistic missiles aimed towards the East Sea from North Korea's Sinpho area at around 6:10 a.m. (Yonhap via NationPress)

On April 19, 2026, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) was present to oversee the test launch of the Hwasong-11 Ra tactical ballistic missile from an undisclosed location, aimed at verifying the characteristics and power of both a cluster bomb warhead and a fragmentation mine warhead associated with the missile, shown in this image released the day after by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Kim expressed satisfaction with the missile's warhead performance, according to KCNA, following the detection of several short-range ballistic missiles launched by South Korea's military towards the East Sea from North Korea's Sinpho area around 6:10 a.m. (Yonhap via NationPress)

Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, can be seen (C) conversing with military personnel while overseeing the test launch of the Hwasong-11 Ra tactical ballistic missile from an undisclosed site on April 19, 2026, to evaluate the characteristics and power of both a cluster bomb warhead and a fragmentation mine warhead applied to the tactical ballistic missile, as depicted in this image shared the day after by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Kim conveyed his satisfaction with the missile's warhead capabilities, as reported by KCNA, following the identification of multiple short-range missiles launched by South Korea's military towards the East Sea from North Korea's Sinpho area at around 6:10 a.m. (Yonhap via NationPress)

On April 19, 2026, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) is seen engaging with military officials while supervising the test launch of the Hwasong-11 Ra tactical ballistic missile from an undisclosed location, aimed at assessing the characteristics and power of both a cluster bomb warhead and a fragmentation mine warhead integrated into the missile, as depicted in this image released the day after by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Kim expressed satisfaction with the missile's warhead capabilities, according to KCNA, following the detection of multiple short-range missiles launched by South Korea's military directed towards the East Sea from North Korea's Sinpho area around 6:10 a.m. (Yonhap via NationPress)

On April 19, 2026, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) is seen walking with military officials while overseeing the test launch of the Hwasong-11 Ra tactical ballistic missile from an undisclosed location, aimed at verifying the effectiveness and characteristics of both a cluster bomb warhead and a fragmentation mine warhead applied to the missile, as shown in this image shared the day after by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Kim expressed satisfaction with the missile's warhead capabilities, according to KCNA, after South Korea's military detected the launch of several short-range ballistic missiles targeting the East Sea from North Korea's Sinpho area around 6:10 a.m. (Yonhap via NationPress)