North Korea tests cluster-bomb missiles and electronic warfare systems

North Korea said Thursday that it carried out a series of weapons tests from Monday to Wednesday, demonstrating various new military systems aimed at expanding its nuclear-capable forces against South Korea and the United States.

The tests included a tactical ballistic missile equipped with a cluster-bomb warhead, according to North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. The surface-to-surface Hwasong-11Ka missile, also known as the KN-23, was tested with a cluster-bomb payload designed to strike targets over a wide area. State media claimed the warhead could "reduce to ashes" targets spanning roughly 16 to 17.2 acres.

Beyond the cluster-bomb missile, North Korea's testing spree involved demonstrations of anti-aircraft weapons, electromagnetic weapons systems, and carbon-fiber bombs. Officials said the tests were part of efforts to assess the performance and battlefield use of several new weapons systems.

South Korea's military detected the launches on Wednesday from an eastern coastal area, marking the second round of missile tests in two days. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the missiles flew between 240 and 700 kilometers.

The weapons tested appear to reflect lessons North Korea is drawing from recent conflicts. Analysts noted that the cluster-munition and graphite-bomb payloads tested are similar to weapons that have appeared in the Middle East. Iran has launched missiles with cluster-munition warheads at Israel, and a widespread blackout in Tehran last month prompted online speculation about the use of graphite bombs, though the Pentagon has not commented on that incident.