It was confirmed that South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities recently captured North Korea’s new ballistic missile launch submarine, which appears to have been completed at the Sinpo Shipyard in South Hamgyong Province. It was first confirmed after some images were revealed when Chairman Kim Jong-un inspected the construction site in July 2019. The new submarine is believed to be an improved version of the Romeo class (3,000 tons) that can be equipped with up to three submarine- launched ballistic missiles ( SLBMs ). South Korean and U.S. authorities believe there is a possibility of holding a launching ceremony in the presence of Chairman Kim on September 9 (the date of establishment of the North Korean regime) or October 10 (the date of the founding of the North Korean Workers’ Party).
According to Dong-A Ilbo’s coverage on the 7th, Korean and American authorities recently captured a new submarine in dry dock at the Sinpo Shipyard through a U.S. reconnaissance satellite. A government source said, “It appears that construction of the new submarine has been completed and final steps are being taken to launch it.” The United States has shared related intelligence with both Korea and Japan, and the White House and the President’s Office are known to be watching related trends.
Accordingly, the construction of nuclear-powered토토사이트 submarines, which Chairman Kim presented as one of the five major national defense tasks for 2021, is expected to accelerate. At the North Korea-Russia summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which is expected to be held in Vladivostok, Russia next week, speculation is growing that Chairman Kim will request the transfer of nuclear-powered submarine technology.
North Korea’s new submarine, ‘dry dock’ raised, launch imminent… Disclosed to the public as if showing off ahead of the North Korea-Russia summit
New
SLBM submarine exposed NorthKoreaappears to begin building nuclear submarine in earnest
It has been reported that South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities have been intensively monitoring signs of active operation of facilities and equipment at the Sinpo Shipyard in South Hamgyong Province since early this month. In particular, frequent movement of vehicles and personnel was detected in the ship building building and dry dock.
It is said that the situation in which the new ballistic missile submarine was moved from the ship building building to the dry dock was caught on the surveillance network of a U.S. reconnaissance satellite. The true nature of the new submarine, which North Korea only revealed in the background during Chairman Kim’s inspection of the construction site in July 2019, was exposed to the public for the first time in over four years.
At the time, North Korea’s state-run media only revealed a portion of the new submarine’s hull with a mosaic of the estimated location of the SLBM ‘s launch tube. Since then, rumors of ‘construction completion’ and ‘launch imminent’ of the new submarine have been continuously raised, but the reality has never been exposed until now.
A government source said, “North Korea kept it hidden for about four years, then finished construction and exposed its true nature as a show of pride ahead of the September 9th Movement and the North Korea-Russia summit.” The new submarine, which is estimated to be capable of mounting
up to three SLBMs , is expected to be equipped with new SLBMs larger than the ‘Pukukseong -3 ㅅ’. So far, the only submarine on which North Korea has test-fired an SLBM is a whale-class submarine (2,000 tons) named the ‘8/24 Hero Ship’. ‘8·24 Hero Ship’ is one SLBM
It can only be mounted so its military effectiveness is low. Therefore, this new submarine can in fact be evaluated as North Korea’s ‘No. 1 ballistic missile submarine.’ Another source said, “After launching a new submarine, North Korea will show off its nuclear threat to the United States by test-firing SLBMs .”
North Korea is now expected to accelerate the construction of nuclear submarines. Nuclear submarines can operate for more than 10 years once recharged with nuclear fuel, and can operate underwater for several months. It can also approach enemy countries without being detected by satellites and perform a surprise attack.
If North Korea possesses a Strategic Nuclear Submarine ( SSBN ) carrying around 10 nuclear-equipped SLBMs , its capabilities for nuclear strike and nuclear retaliation against the U.S. mainland will be dramatically strengthened. North Korea is assessed to be equipped with solid-fuel ICBMs capable of hitting the U.S. mainland and weapons capable of delivering tactical nuclear weapons across South Korea and at U.S. military bases in Japan. North Korea’s final task is to secure nuclear retaliatory power to block the United States’ extended deterrence (nuclear umbrella), and its core power is the SSBN .
A government source said, “North Korea will attempt to introduce key technology from Russia, which has accumulated nuclear submarine technology next to the United States.” The defense ministers of Korea, the United States, and Japan held a joint phone call on the 7th and discussed follow-up measures to the defense agreement reached at the Camp David Summit. In addition, we strongly condemned North Korea’s series of ballistic missile provocations and decided to accelerate the establishment of real-time sharing of North Korean missile warning information within the year.
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