Mars Type 11A;[b] KN-23 under United States’s naming convention)[8] is a North Korean single-stage, solid-fueled short-range ballistic missile.

The Hwasong-11A bears an external resemblance to the Russian Iskander-M and South Korean Hyunmoo-2B short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), being distinguished by its elongated cable raceway, different jet vane actuators and smooth base.

Like the Iskander-M, it flies in a quasi-ballistic trajectory, flattening out below an altitude of about 50 km (160,000 ft) where the atmosphere is dense enough so the missile's fins can change course along its flight path.

Its active steering capability could make it accurate to within 100 m (330 ft) CEP with satellite guidance, or within 200 meters using INS alone.

[8][9][10] The Hwasong-11A is likely to feature some form of foreign involvement such as parts, as when compared to the later developed Hwasong-11B (KN-24), the Korean Central News Agency focuses mainly on the deployment of the missile, with little coverage on its research.

[8][9][14] In July 2023, North Korea revealed the official name of this missile, which was previously known by the United States’s designation (KN-23), during the “Weaponry Exhibition-2023” military exhibition.

[15] According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), as of 2024, North Korea is possessing more than 17 Hwasong-11A missiles (in road and rail-mobile variants).

They flew much further than any previous flight of the weapon, and went an even greater distance than the larger variant tested earlier in 2021.

An unknown number of North Korean ballistic missiles were transferred to Russia in October 2023, according to declassified US intelligence informations.

Based on debris left by Russian attacks on Ukrainian targets on 30 December 2023, the ring housing the control vanes have been identified as the characteristics of Hwasong-11A (KN-23) and Hwasong-11B (KN-24) missiles.

[1] According to the Conflict Armament Research, 75% of components in the guidance control system for the Hwasong-11A (KN-23) fired at Kharkiv are based on American parts.