North Korea has tested a high-thrust, solid-fuel engine capable of striking the US mainland, with analysts indicating the test signals efforts to deploy multiple warheads on a single missile.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a test of a high-thrust, solid-fuel engine for weapons and hailed it as a development to boost the country’s strategic military capability, state media reported Sunday. Analysts said the test signalled efforts to place multiple warheads on a single missile capable of reaching the United States mainland.