North Korea researching sea missiles: US
31 Oct 2014 4:48 AM IST
North Korea has built a test facility that may be intended to develop a marine-based ballistic missile launch capability, using submarines or surface vessels, a US think-tank said Tuesday.
While submarines carrying ballistic missiles could provide the North Korea with a survivable second-strike nuclear capability, the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University stressed that Pyongyang was likely ‘years’ from achieving the required technology.
Reviewing recent commercial satellite imagery, the institute said a new test stand had been identified at the Sinpo South Shipyard in northeastern North Korea. The size and design of the stand suggested it was intended ‘to explore the possibility of launching ballistic missiles from submarines or of a shipboard vertical launch ballistic missile capability,’ it said in an analysis on the closely followed 38 North website.
While submarines carrying ballistic missiles could provide the North Korea with a survivable second-strike nuclear capability, the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University stressed that Pyongyang was likely ‘years’ from achieving the required technology.
Reviewing recent commercial satellite imagery, the institute said a new test stand had been identified at the Sinpo South Shipyard in northeastern North Korea. The size and design of the stand suggested it was intended ‘to explore the possibility of launching ballistic missiles from submarines or of a shipboard vertical launch ballistic missile capability,’ it said in an analysis on the closely followed 38 North website.
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