The short-range missiles that North Korea fired this week are believed to be a version of Russia's Iskander ballistic missile, and their flight across the territory appears to show the reliability of the weapon, experts said. Yonhap

The short-range missiles that North Korea fired this week are believed to be a version of Russia's Iskander ballistic missile, and their flight across the territory appears to show the reliability of the weapon, experts said Friday.

On Thursday, North Korea fired two short-range missiles eastward from its northwestern region of Kusong, according to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). After flying 420 kilometers and 270 km, respectively, all the way across the North Korean territory, they splashed into the East Sea, the JCS added.

While the military did not disclose the exact type of the missiles, photographs released by the North's Korean Central News Agency about its "strike drill of various long-range strike means" revealed projectiles that bear outward similarities to the ground-to-ground short-range ballistic missiles known as Russia's Iskander.

They also look identical to what the South Korean military dubbed as "a new type of tactical guided weapons" Pyongyang launched last Saturday, along with a barrage of projectiles featuring 240-mm and 300-mm multi launcher rocket systems.

Launched from the east coast city of Wonsan, one of the "tactical guided weapons" flew about 240 km.

Pyongyang first showed off its version of Iskander during a military parade in February last year, and had not test-fired before.

"Given, in particular, that the altitude of what North Korea fired on Saturday and yesterday all reached around 50 km, they seem to be the same type of Iskander ballistic missiles," said Shin Jong-woo, a senior analyst at the Korea Defense Security Forum in Seoul.