The first images of North Korea's new Intercontinental Ballistic Missile have been revealed and they are foreboding for those hoping to avoid the missile's reach.
Seven News has posted new photos of the Hwasong 15 missile on a mobile launch pad, with the 170cm tall Kim Jong-Un dwarfed standing next to it.
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Rocket experts conclude that it's bigger and more mobile than previous missiles, which could make it harder to stop, should the rogue state decide to launch a weaponised one.
Michael Duitsman, a researcher at the Center for Non-proliferation Studies in Monterey, California, tweeted his thoughts on the missile, saying it was much larger than previous versions.
"First, this is a very big missile," he wrote. "Quite a bit larger than the Hwasong-14 from earlier this year.
"And I don't mean 'Big for North Korea'. Only a few countries can produce missiles of this size and North Korea just joined the club."
He later suggested other design changes could provide clues to improved steering or a new engine.
Another expert, Michael Elleman, suggested on the blog 38 North that the missile could have a range of up to 13,000 kilometres and carry a payload of about 150kg.
That's a very light, probably lighter than any nuclear payload North Korea is capable of creating.
"Kim Jong Un's nuclear bomb must weigh less than 350 kilograms, if he expects to strike the western edges of the US mainland," Elleman estimated.
"A 600-kilogram payload barely reaches Seattle."
Newshub.
