(SeaPRwire) –   North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the testing of a new high-thrust, solid-fuel rocket engine, state media reported, as the country develops weapons designed to reach the U.S. mainland.

According to a Sunday report from KCNA, the test featured an engine constructed from carbon-fiber composites and was identified as a component of a new five-year defense strategy aimed at enhancing the nation’s “strategic strike” potential.

Kim stated the test held “great significance in elevating the country’s strategic military strength to the highest level,” KCNA said.

The engine was said to generate 2,500 kilonewtons of thrust, an increase over a comparable engine tested the previous year. Analysts indicate that engines of this type could enable the development of more mobile or smaller long-range missiles.

A South Korean expert, Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at the Science and Technology Policy Institute, suggested North Korea’s account of the test might be exaggerated, as it omitted critical data such as the engine’s total burn duration.

The importance of solid-fuel systems lies in their ability to be launched faster and with less advance notice than liquid-fuel missiles, which complicates detection and could enhance their survivability in a conflict.

Significant technical challenges remain for Pyongyang before it can deploy a fully operational intercontinental ballistic missile, particularly the challenge of ensuring a warhead can withstand reentry into the atmosphere.

KCNA also reported that Kim’s recent military engagements included observing special operations exercises and evaluating a new main battle tank, highlighting a comprehensive effort to modernize both the missile arsenal and conventional military units.

Kim asserted that the tank’s defensive system could neutralize almost all current anti-tank weapons, although Reuters noted these claims could not be verified independently.

These advancements are consistent with a broader trend of intensified military actions by Pyongyang. Following the breakdown of Kim’s diplomatic talks with former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019, North Korea has ramped up its nuclear and missile programs despite international sanctions, while maintaining that talks are possible if Washington abandons its precondition of denuclearization.

During an uncommon party congress in February, Kim introduced a new five-year plan that confirmed the ongoing pursuit of nuclear weapons and demanded a wide-ranging enhancement of the military’s capabilities.

Analysts and governments in the region have also identified new tank and combined-arms exercises as elements of Pyongyang’s strategy to update its military doctrine for contemporary warfare, incorporating insights from recent conflicts and stressing coordination between ground and missile units.

South Korea and the United States have stated they are vigilantly tracking North Korea’s weapons development.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.