Why it is in news?

• North Korea is believed to be preparing to launch a ballistic missile ahead of an upcoming joint naval drill by the U.S. and South Korea.
• The U.S. Navy said that a U.S. aircraft carrier would lead the drill in the coming week, a fresh show of force against North Korea as tensions soar over the hermit state’s weapons programme.
• The move will likely rile Pyongyang, which has previously responded angrily to joint exercises.
• U.S. and South Korean military officials suspect the North might be preparing to launch missiles capable of reaching U.S. territory. 

New Hwasong-13 ICBM

•  This could be the Hwasong-14 inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), whose range could extend to Alaska, or Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missiles which Pyongyang threatened to fire towards the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam in August
•  Another possibility is that the North might be preparing to test a new Hwasong-13 ICBM, it added, that has a longer maximum range than the other two missiles and could potentially reach the U.S. West Coast.