BM25 Musudan The Musudan missile , also known under the names BM - 25 , Taepodong X , Nodong / Rodong - B and Mirim , is a mobile intermediate - range ballistic missile developed by North Korea . The Musudan was first revealed to the international community in a military parade on 10 October 2010 celebrating the Korean Worker ' s Party ' s 65th anniversary , although experts believe these were mock - ups of the missile . The Musudan resembles the shape of the Soviet Union ' s R - 27 Zyb submarine - launched missile , but is slightly longer . As of 2012 , there was no indication that the missile system had been launch tested , or was operational . Development . In the mid - 1990s , after the collapse of the Soviet Union , North Korea invited the Makeyev Design Bureau ' s ballistic missile designers and engineers to develop this missile , based on the R - 27 Zyb . It was decided that , as the Korean People ' s Army ' s MAZ - 547A / MAZ - 7916 Transporter erector launcher could carry 20 tonnes , and the R - 27 Zyb was only 14 . 2 tonnes , the R - 27 Zyb ' s fuel / oxidizer tank could be extended by approximately 2 metres . Additionally , the warhead was reduced from a three - warhead MIRV to a single warhead . The actual rocket design is a liquid fuel rocket , generally believed to use a hypergolic combination of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine ( UDMH ) as fuel , and nitrogen tetroxide ( NTO ) as oxidizer . Once the fuel / oxidizer combination are fed into the missile , it could maintain a ' ready to launch ' condition for several days , or even weeks , like the R - 27 SLBM , in moderate ambient temperatures . A fueled Musudan would not have the structural strength to be land transported , so would have to be fueled at the launch site . It was originally believed that Musudan ' s rocket motors made up the second stage of the Taepodong - 2 , which North Korea unsuccessfully test fired in 2006 . However analysis of the Unha - 3 launch , believed to be based on the Taepodong - 2 , showed that the second stage did not use the same fuel as the R - 27 , and is probably based on Nodong rocket technology . There is a possibility that the Musudan likewise is using the Nodong ' s kerosene and corrosion inhibited red fuming nitric acid ( IRFNA ) propellants , reducing the missile ' s range by about half . History . On April 6 , 2013 , two Musudan rockets were carried to a base near the eastern coast of North Korea and to be prepared for a likely launch . This could have been intended to be the first ever test of the rocket or a military drill . On May 7 , 2013 it was reported that these two Musudan rockets were moved away from their coastal launch site , probably to a non - operational site . Operators . Section 25 of this leaked cable ( written before the 10 October 2010 appearance of the missile ) says : Russia said that during its presentations in Moscow and its comments thus far during the current talks , the U . S . has discussed the BM - 25 as an existing system . Russia questioned the basis for this assumption and asked for any facts the U . S . had to provide its existence such as launches , photos , etc . For Russia , the BM - 25 is a mysterious missile . North Korea has not conducted any tests of this missile , but the U . S . has said that North Korea transferred 19 of these missiles to Iran . It is hard for Russia to follow the logic trail on this . Since Russia has not seen any evidence of this missile being developed or tested , it is hard for Russia to imagine that Iran would buy an untested system . Russia does not understand how a deal would be made for an untested missile . References to the missile ' s existence are more in the domain of political literature than technical fact . In short , for Russia , there is a question about the existence of this system .