The US military is still assessing North Korea’s April 14 test missile launch that ended in a “catastrophic failure,” Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said. Speaking to reporters during a Friday briefing, Davis said the US followed the launch, which ended in a “fiery” eruption on the launch pad. The launch, one of multiple tests the country has attempted so far this year, took place in a location separate from previous launches, indicating it was a mobile missile, Davis said. South Korea’s official Yonhap News Agency stated the missile was likely a Musudan—an intermediate-range ballistic missile that can be launched from a mobile launcher.
In a pair of major contracts announced July 31, the Pentagon awarded a combined $7.8 billion for new missiles, including JASSM and AMRAAM.