How powerful is North Korea's military

Following North Korea's missile test over Japan, a University of Melbourne expert looks at weather a nuclear crisis involving the US could spiral out of control.

Kim Jong Un orders to produce more solid fuel rocket engines and rocket warhead tips Source: YOUTUBE, SCREENPRINT

Ballistic missiles and missile defense expert from School of Historical and Philosophical Studies and the School of Social and Political Sciences, Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne, Dr Marko Beljac says the numbers indicate a Hwasong-12 IRBM was fired on a standard trajectory over Japan. Dr Beljac explained in more details how powerful this missile is. We also asked him “Can it reach Australia?” and “How potent are North Korea's threats?”

There now exists a very real prospect the nuclear crisis may spiral out of control. And Pyongyang may seek to deliberately cultivate just such a danger.

"The Hwasong-12 forms the first stage of the two-part Hwasong-14 ICBM, which was successfully tested on 4 July and 28 July. Ballistic missiles with strategic nuclear payloads must be reliable, as well as being seen to be reliable, if they are to serve as credible nuclear deterrents, said Dr Beljac for SBS Serbian."

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North Korea: The ‘threat that leaves something to chance’ By Dr Marko Beljac, University of Melbourne