North Korea’s first ‘strategic’ cruise missile test

Subject – Science and Tech

Context – North Korea tested a strategic cruise missile.

Concept –

This is not the first cruise missile test by the country. However, it is “North Korea’s first long-range (1,000 km+) cruise missile and first claimed nuclear-capable cruise missile.
According to a Popular Science report from 2013, cruise missiles “are fast-moving, guided bombs that soar at a very low trajectory, parallel to the ground. They are distinct from regular (non-cruise) missiles primarily because they go really far” and all such missiles have an internal guidance system.
These missiles differ from ballistic missiles in that they are “designed to travel within the earth’s atmosphere and aerodynamically maneuver for most of their flight time.
Most cruise missiles use a small, solid- propellant rocket booster, which allows them to gain enough altitude and speed for the onboard sustainer engine to take over.
Some analysts say these types of missiles are also slightly difficult to detect.
These cruise missiles don’t come under UNSC sanctions that were placed on the DPRK in an attempt to curb its nuclear development programme.