North Korea Building New Naval Base to House Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles
Just another example of how serious the North Koreans are about fully developing their SLBM technology:
North Korea is in the midst of building a new naval base on the east coast to accommodate submarines capable of firing submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), a British military media agency said Sunday.
According to the report by IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly, North Korea is currently building the new military facility at a location some 2.25 kilometers from Sinpo Shipyard, the homeport of North Korea’s ballistic missile submarine program, in South Hamgyong Province.
The existing shipyard currently houses 2,000-ton Sinpo-class submarines, which have been used by North Korea to test-fire SLBMs.
The purpose of the new naval base is presumed to be housing submarines larger than the Sinpo-class, the report added.
Sources earlier said Pyongyang is known to be developing a 3,000-ton submarine that can carry more than three SLBMs. The existing Sinpo-class submarine can hold only one SLBM at a time. [Yonhap]
As I have said before, North Korea developing SLBMs is a game changer because it complicates missile defenses. Missile defense batteries have to point their radars in the direction of where the threat is coming from. Right now with North Korea it is easy because their missiles are all launched from a northerly direction from South Korea. With SLBMs they could come from any direction if the submarines are not properly tracked.
Today’s Korean newspaper articles full of the story on China and North Korea getting all friendly, after China gets angered by South Korea’s decision to host THAAD. There is speculation (and rightfully so) that China is breaking UN sanctions on North Korea, and now they’ll openly oppose the sanctions on North Korea. One country that’s loving all this, is North Korea who are just delighted that China has reversed boat. Unless the US put economic sanctions on China, the UN sanctions will not work containing North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
I am sure the U.S. government is watching this development with great interest and more than a few resources.
@Tyson, the Chinese were breaking the sanctions anyway which has kept the Kim regime going and continuing their provocations. If China actually strictly enforced the sanctions the Kim regime would not have the money to continue their nuclear and missile programs which is why the THAAD is being deployed in the first place.