North Korea Builds Largest Missile Submarine Yet
Satellite footage suggests that the North Korean regime of Kim Jong-Un has begun development of a massive new submarine capable of launching ballistic missiles further potentially threatening the US, reports the Telegraph.
Images captured by commercial satellites in September show components compatible with the construction of a submarine stockpiled at the Sinpo South Shipyard, according to the 38 North web site, operated by the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
"While there is no direct evidence that the program is for a boat to carry the ballistic missile currently under development, the presence of an approximately 10-metre in diameter [32 feet] circular component outside the facility’s recently renovated fabrication hall may be intended as a construction-jig or as a component for the pressure hull of a new submarine," the report says.
The development comes as Pyongyang has made stunning advances in its submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) program far outstripping earlier estimates on the regime’s technical capabilities and bringing down the countdown until North Korea possesses the capability to launch a strike on the West.
With more than one submarine – and potentially more to come – North Korea, in the event of war, could be able to launch multiple projectiles simultaneously, say analysts.
