[Courtesy of 38North]
With global attention chained to Pyongyang's long-range missiles, there has been a quiet but active push to develop a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in North Korea's strategic shipyard, according to 38 North, the website of a US research institute.
Recent satellite imagery of North Korea's Sinpo shipyard indicates Pyeongyang is "actively" pursuing the development of its Bukkeukseong-1 (Polaris-1 or KN-11) SLBM and the GORAE (whale)-class experimental ballistic missile submarine, 38 North said.
Unidentified work on the GORAE-class submarine during the past two months appears to have been completed, it said, adding construction and refurbishment continue at halls capable of building submarines larger than the GORAE-class when completed.
"When work on the construction halls, fabrication buildings and machine shops is completed, these facilities will be able to build new submarines much larger than the GORAE-class," it said.
A removable tower, which was used to support a rocket engine, missile or launch tube, has remained in place for the past two months, allowing North Korea to more quickly conduct a pop-up or ejection test, 38 North said.
Last December, Pyongyang claimed to have successfully conducted the SLBM "ejection" test, but US and South Korea experts said the earlier test failed.
38 North warned that North Korea's SLBM program represents "an emerging rather than a current threat".
"Despite legitimate concerns about North Korea’s development of an SLBM and a ballistic missile submarine having a significant effect upon regional security, these developments represent an emerging rather than a current threat," it said.
The website said that deployment of such operational systems is an expensive, time-consuming endeavor and there is no guarantee of success.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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