At the beginning of September, the KCNA news agency announced the launch of a new North Korean submarine, presented then as a nuclear tactical attack submarine, and named Hero Kim Gun-ok .
In fact, it turned out that it was an adaptation of a Soviet model dating from the end of the 1950s, called Romeo by NATO, absolutely not equipped with nuclear propulsion and reputed to be not very discreet.
The launch of the North Korean submarine Hero Kim Gun-ok
On the other hand, the new North Korean submersible seems well equipped with vertical launch tubes, making it possible to implement short-range ballistic missiles, as well as intermediate-range cruise missiles, each of which can potentially carry a nuclear charge. .
Therefore, if the presentation of Hero Kim Gun-ok has been quite exaggerated by Pyongyang's propaganda, the military potential of the ship is indisputable, in particular to neutralize Seoul's new three-axis doctrine supposed to provide a conventional response to the nuclear threat. North Korean.
If that were not enough, it appears that North Korean shipyards have begun construction of at least one additional guided missile submarine, this time equipped with larger KN-26 Pukguksong-3 ballistic missiles and a greater range than those implemented aboard the Hero Kim Gun-ok.
New North Korean submarine potentially armed with Pukguksong-3 SLBM nuclear missiles
In any case, this is the conclusion reached by the world-renowned specialist in submarines and underwater warfare, HI Sutton, in an article published on his blog on September 17 .
He bases his reasoning on the very significant differences observed between the ship launched at the beginning of September, and the one whose photos were revealed in 2019 during Kim Jong-Un's visit to the shipyards responsible for the construction of submarines. for the North Korean Navy e.
In both cases, the ships are obviously derived from the Soviet Romeo class, although the Hero Kim Gun-ok appears longer and more imposing than previous ships.
Kim Jong-Un's 2019 visit to observe the construction of the Sinpo-C class
Thus, the ship observed in 2019 and named Sinpo-C class , sports a silhouette relatively close to that of the Chinese Type 033 derived from the Soviet Romeo. On the other hand, the submersible's kiosk was considerably lengthened and raised, so as to accommodate three Pukguksong-3 medium-changing ballistic missiles, 8 meters long.
If the Sinpo-C is indeed armed with three heavier and longer-range missiles, therefore potentially classified as strategic, this would also explain the strange classification of tactical attack nuclear submarine given to Hero Kim Gun-ok.
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[…] At the beginning of September, the KCNA news agency announced the launch of a new North Korean submarine, presented then as a submarine […]