Mars Type 8) is a North Korean missile claimed to be mounting a hypersonic glide vehicle, which was first tested on 27 September 2021.
[8] Japanese tracking data from a test launch suggest it is a hypersonic ballistic missile, as North Korea described it.
[7][11] However, the distance between the verniers and the main chamber on the motor suggest that the base of the missile is the Hwasong-14, as it has a slightly longer gap between those.
[13][7] However, the actual impact of ampoulisation may have been overstated, as it appears that rather than the Soviet method of fueling and sealing the submarine-launched ballistic missile at the factory; instead, what is likely used is just the use of storable liquid fuel, which has probably already been practised on the Hwasong-10 and onwards, or the addition of membranes to seal off the propellent tank until launch.
[8] The missile displayed at the defence exhibition in October 2021 had some noticeable differences, compared to the version that was launched in September.
It also likely served an international purpose, as the launch had indeed attracted a wide range of attention, such as 'joining a race headed by major military powers to deploy the advanced weapons system', as Reuters wrote,[18] or that it 'could change the military equation in East Asia', according to a CNN commentary.
[19] However, the majority of ballistic missiles of North Korea already reenter at hypersonic speeds, but the still improve chances in survival of the warhead, although these reentry vehicles are significantly more expensive than a traditional reentry vehicle, and is unlikely to form more than a small part of its missile force.