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EXCLUSIVE - NEW NORTH KOREAN MISSILE DEVELOPMENT THREATENS THE USA

NEWS RELEASE
Jane's Information Group

For Immediate Release: 3 August 2004

See: http://www.janes.com/defence/news/jdw/jdw040802_1_n.shtml

Jane's Defence Weekly tomorrow reports exclusively that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea - DPRK) is deploying a pair of new ballistic missile systems.

"Both these new land and sea-based systems appreciably expand the ballistic missile threat presented by the DPRK," concludes the report. "The submarine-launched ballistic missile or ship-mounted version of this new system is potentially the most threatening. It would fundamentally alter the missile threat posed by the DPRK and could finally provide its leadership with something that it has long sought to obtain--the ability to directly threaten the continental US."

Emerging reports assessed by Jane's Defence Weekly show that the first system is a land-based road-mobile ballistic missile with an estimated range of 2,500-4,000km. The second is a companion submarine or ship ballistic missile system with a range of at least 2,500km. Both systems appear to be based on the decommissioned Soviet R-27 submarine-launched ballistic missile.

It is unknown if the DPRK has sold, or attempted to sell, this new system to any of its previous ballistic missile customers. Iran would appear to be the ideal customer for both the land and sea-based versions, given its requirement for a system capable of striking Israel from the security of its own territory. Iran has itself engaged in research activities relating to the development of a sea-based ballistic missile capability.

Two key events are responsible for the new development. Firstly, it is believed that the R-27 technology originated with personnel from the VP Makeyev Design Bureau in Miass, Russian government. Groups of missile specialists reportedly travelled to the DPRK after receiving approval. Secondly, the DPRK gained important knowledge and equipment for naval ballistic missiles during September 1993, when the Korean People's Navy signed a contract with the Toen Trading Company of Tokyo to buy 12 decommissioned Russian Foxtrot-class and Golf II-class submarines for scrap metal. These boats retained significant elements of the R-21 submarine launched missile system, including their launch tubes and stabilisation subsystems. This technology, in combination with the R-27 design, provided the KPN with elements crucial to the subsequent development of a submarine or ship-mounted ballistic missile system. (ENDS)