EXPLAINER: What are solid-fuel missiles, and why is North Korea developing them?

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – North Korea’s Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), launched for the second time on Wednesday, July 12, uses solid-fuel technology, giving it the capability to launch with little preparation.

Here are some characteristics of solid-fuel technology, and how it can help the North improve its missile systems.

What is solid-fuel technology?

Solid propellants are a mixture of fuel and oxidizer. Metallic powders such as aluminum often serve as the fuel, and ammonium perchlorate, which is the salt of perchloric acid and ammonia, is the most common oxidizer.

The fuel and oxidizer are bound together by a hard rubbery material and packed into a metal casing.

When solid propellant burns, oxygen from the ammonium perchlorate combines with aluminum to generate enormous amounts of energy and temperatures of more than 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760º Celsius), creating thrust and lifting the missile from the launch pad.

Who has that technology?

Solid fuel dates back to fireworks developed by the Chinese centuries ago, but made dramatic progress in the mid-20th century, when the US developed more powerful propellants.

North Korea uses solid fuel in a range of small, shorter-range ballistic missiles.

The Soviet Union fielded its first solid-fuel ICBM, the RT-2, in the early 1970s, followed by France’s development of its S3, also known as SSBS, a medium-range ballistic missile.

China started testing solid-fuel ICBMs in the late 1990s.

South Korea has also said it has secured “efficient and advanced” solid-propellant ballistic missile technology, though in much smaller rockets so far.

Solid vs liquid

Liquid propellants provide greater propulsive thrust and power, but require more complex technology and extra weight.

Solid fuel is dense and burns quite quickly, generating thrust over a short time. Solid fuel can remain in storage for an extended period without degrading or breaking down – a common issue with liquid fuel.

Vann Van Diepen, a former US government weapons expert who now works with the 38 North project, said solid-fuel missiles are easier and safer to operate, and require less logistical support, making them harder to detect and more survivable than liquid-fuel weapons.

Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said any country that operates large scale, missile-based nuclear forces would seek solid-propellant missiles, which do not need to be fueled immediately ahead of launch.

“These capabilities are much more responsive in a time of crisis,” Panda said.

North Korea said the development of its new solid-fuel ICBM, the Hwasong-18, would “radically promote” its nuclear counterattack capability.

After the first launch South Korea’s defense ministry sought to downplay the testing, saying the North would need “extra time and effort” to master the technology. On Thursday, July 13, a ministry spokesperson said they were still analyzing the latest launch. – Rappler.com