North Korea issues warning on U.S. hypersonic cruise missiles

SEOUL, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- The United States' development of hypersonic cruise missiles is provoking a reaction from North Korea.

An editorial in Pyongyang's Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun published Tuesday stated the missiles under development are "aimed at us," two weeks after North Korea accused the United States and South Korea of plotting a pre-emptive strike.

"At present the U.S. Air Force is nearing completion on the development of a hypersonic missile that can within an hour strike a target anywhere in the world," North Korea stated. "Analysts have expressed concern about the hypersonic missiles, because it could be mistaken for a nuclear weapon, and could bring about retaliatory strikes or nuclear war."

In April Defense One reported the Pentagon is investing heavily in hypersonic research in order to build missiles than can cruise between Mach 5 to Mach 19.

The Mach number measures the ratio of flow velocity past a boundary to the local speed of sound.

The decision concerned members of the nonproliferation community, according to the report.

The Rodong editorial also stated the United States is responsible for "aggravating the situation" on the Korean peninsula, and criticized Washington for a decision to deploy the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan during the "Invincible Spirit 2016" drills held in mid-October.

The joint drills were an unprecedented exercise in waters on both sides of the Korean peninsula conducted to warn North Korea after its Sept. 9 nuclear test.