North Korea's 'KN-25' Compared to American HIMARS Used in Ukraine

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Andrew Stanton

By Andrew Stanton

Reporter

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North Korea could provide Russia with a missile system capable of holding its own against the HIMARS given to Ukraine by the United States as Moscow continues to face challenges in the war.

In the more than six months of fighting since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on February 24, many Western nations have issued sanctions against Moscow in an effort to weaken its ability to attack Ukraine while providing Ukraine with military and humanitarian aid, bolstering its defense efforts.

The sanctions have largely cut off Russia from global supply chains, allegedly forcing it to turn to North Korea for a new arms deal—suggesting that sanctions are hampering its invasion as Ukraine launches a counteroffensive in the key city of Kherson, according to declassified U.S. intelligence reported by The New York Times.

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North Korea has one weapon that could go up against the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) given to Ukraine.

A woman walks past a television screen showing footage of a North Korean missile launch on September 10, 2019, when North Korea launched two KN-25 missiles. Russia allegedly purchased weapons from North Korea, which produces the KN-25 missiles capable of traveling further than U.S. HIMARS.

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The U.S. began supplying HIMARS to Ukraine over the summer, and Ukraine has successfully used the rocket systems in its defensive efforts. It has said the rocket system helped to destroy key Russian targets, including ammunition depots and command posts.

North Korea's KN-25, which has not been confirmed to have been given to Russia, is considered to be one of the most powerful missiles in its arsenal.

KN-25 has more range than HIMARS

One area in which the KN-25 bests HIMARS is range. HIMARS' range, which is longer than weapons Ukraine used in the earlier months of its defense, has allowed the Ukrainian military to push Russian troops farther back. According to Lockheed Martin, HIMARS have a "proven range up to 300 km," or about 186 miles. However, the arms manufacturer also said it is developing munitions to extend its range to 499 km (about 310 miles).

Currently, the KN-25 is able to travel farther than HIMARS. The North Korean weapons have a range of about 380 km (236 miles). The missile would allow Russia to launch attacks against a significant portion of Ukraine.

HIMARS capable of faster travel

U.S.-made HIMARS have the capability of reaching higher speeds than the KN-25. HIMARS have a maximum speed of 85 km/hour (about 53 mph), while the KN-25 has a maximum speed of about 80 km/hour (about 50 mph), according to Military Today.

Many specifications about the KN-25, including the maximum weight it is able to carry, are unknown, so it is difficult to determine an exact comparison between the two. The North Korean missiles were first tested in 2019, when they reached a maximum altitude of 97 km (about 60 miles), according to Missile Threat.

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KN-25 has more range than HIMARS

HIMARS capable of faster travel