The second resource may 38 North, which monitors the geopolitical situation and military forces of North Korea, said commercial satellite photos of North Korean found a second barge for the underwater test launch of a ballistic missile. In fact, this modification of the Soviet floating submersible stand PSD-4. Launches occur from such stands before you begin testing directly with submarines.
The first stand was discovered in Korea in 2014. The vast majority of the missile launches, the DPRK submarine of the South Korean and American experts believe that is produced with floating submerged stands, and not with submarines, as they say in North Korea.
Anyway, the second discovered the stand of the newly raised questions: planning in the DPRK runs the test three years ago or is it a new own stand, and now North Korea will accelerate the program of ballistic missile submarines (SLBM), capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Edition of the National Interest notes that in 90-ies of the last century, several old Soviet submarines of project 629 (built in 50-60-ies), capable of launching SLBMs, went to the DPRK on the breaker, and the DPRK could either restore them, or when disassembling to join the Soviet military technology. But there is no evidence.
Rather, according to the newspaper, in 2012-2013, the DPRK began the construction of his own experimental submarine Gorae (or go there for the name of the shipyard. In theory it can run one or two SLBM from a depth of 10-15 meters, that is her to launch the rocket must ascend to the surface (modern boats launch missiles from depths up to 50 meters).
Accurate data on Gorae no. Form boat of the DPRK resemble the Yugoslav submarines of type “Sava” 70-ies. It is understood that the operating range is less than 750 miles, with a speed of 20 knots. While it is confirmed that North Korea has one such submarine, and you might have five.
Not much point in Gorae American experts do not see. Such obsolete the submarine will not be able to go into a long Autonomous navigation (to apply, for example, an unexpected nuclear strike or a retaliatory strike at the enemy). Moreover, it will not be able to leave the port unnoticed, and in the event of hostilities, air defenses, and ABOUT North Korea will not be able to protect her, and so she is immediately sunk. By the way, during the traditional spring exercises of the submarine fleet submarine of the DPRK go to sea only for 3-5 days.
Although allowed extreme options: what Gorae miracle can quietly go into a suicide mission in one end of the sea to launch missiles at American targets in Japan, or North Korea will be able to make the launch of South Korea from one of the countless internal bays of the rugged coastline. In this case, South Korea and Japan will have to rely on missile defense. Or have to go on a preemptive strike Gorae and anticipated points of their home.
In the media point to the fact that Gorae can be used only for testing missiles and build a more modern and large North Korean submarines in the future.
As for the submarine fleet of the DPRK, according to military analyst Joseph Bermúdez (Joseph Bermudez), North Korea in the ranks is from 52 to 67 diesel-electric submarines. Four submarines of the project 613 (built in 1951-57.) were delivered to the Soviet Union, but by 2013 was written off. Seven submarines of project 633 (built in 1950s) were supplied by China (Chinese version — project 033) assembled and another 70 in a disassembled state.
In 2015, according to the Pentagon, North Korea in the ranks was up to 70 submarines of various projects. According to the newspaper Jane360, North Korea was also seen in the creation of models of submarines, so when shooting from the air or space they took for the true submarine.
In 2010 was published an international study on the sinking of warship “Cheonan” of the Navy of South Korea and killed more than 40 sailors, which claimed that North Korea is in the presence of 20 submarines of project 633, 40 small submarines of class “San-O” and “San-O II” and 10 midget submarines of class “Jono”.
By the way, while the 2010 sinking of “Cheonan” attributed the DPRK, a submarine torpedo which struck the blow. Despite the obsolete submarine fleet of the DPRK, as it turned out, even midget submarines “Jono” it is currently able to sink the ships of the enemy and inflict sudden blows and to operate in shallow depths, since in the planning of operations takes into account a biggie.
Not dropping today off and just a decent number of small and midget submarines from North Korea that could allow the forces of the DPRK to strike many blows at the same time and for different purposes, as well as conducting the mining of the waters.
As for the program of ballistic missile submarines capable of carrying nuclear warheads, military experts, despite all the controversy, agree that in North Korea after a series of tests of the missile launch from a floating, submerged stands will eventually be able to conduct successful launches with real submarines. In 2014, the achievement of this goal, North Korea took 2-3 years.
