Tag: submarines

A submarine launched ICBM would really be the holy grail of North Korea strategic deterrence strategy if successfully developed:

The United States has detected evidence that North Korea conducted yet another ejection test for a submarine-launched ballistic missile just a couple of days after carrying out its second intercontinental ballistic missile test, CNN reported.

The ejection test, carried out Sunday, is the third this month and fourth this year, CNN reported, citing an unidentified defense official. That shows the communist nation is working hard to make progress in its SLBM development.

An ejection test is designed to see whether a missile can be ejected by high pressure steam out of the launch canister in a submarine and into the air before its engine ignites and takes flight. Sunday’s test took place at the Sinpo shipyard, the North’s main submarine development center, CNN said.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link.

It appears that along with the submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test capability currently developed on North Korea’s east coast, the Kim regime is busy trying to develop this same test capability on its West Coast as well:

Recent satellite images show North Korea may be steadily building up its submarine-launched ballistic missile program.

The commercial satellite imagery published by 38 North, a Johns HopkinsUniversity website dedicated to North Korea issues, show a second test stand barge for Pyongyang’s SLBMs.

The images from April 19 are aerial shots of Nampo Naval Shipyard, on the western coast of North Korea, writes Joseph S. Bermudez Jr.

The barge is “identical” in size and layout to the original barge that was first identified in 2014, according to the analyst.

The first barge was found at Sinpo South Shipyard on the east coast where as many as six SLBM launches took place since 2014.  [UPI]

You can read more at the link.

As North Korea continues to develop its Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) capability South Korea is definitely going to need to acquire this technology in response:

The South Korean military may buy four cutting-edge antisubmarine patrol aircraft in the wake of the successful test-firing of a submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) by North Korea last week, a senior government official told the JoongAng Ilbo Tuesday.

The advanced maritime surveillance aircraft being considered by the military is a Boeing P-8 Poseidon, which costs between 250 billion and 300 billion won ($223 – 268 million) per jet. The U.S. Navy has such aircraft, as do the Indian and Australian navies.

“North Korea is preparing a number of strategic ways to attack the South using its submarine fleet on top of the SLBM development,” said the official, “We are discussing whether to purchase the latest maritime patrol aircraft to detect North Korean submarines to prevent surprise attacks from under water.”  [Joong Ang Ilbo]

You can read more at the link.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C) appears delighted with military officers after watching a successful launch of a submarine-launched ballistic missile in this photo released by the (North) Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 25, 2016. The North claimed full success in the test firing of “Pukguksong” carried out a day earlier. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

North Korea’s submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), “Pukguksong,” is being transported to be loaded onto a sub in this photo released by the (North) Korean Central TV on Aug. 25, 2016. The North claimed full success in the test firing of Pukguksong carried out a day earlier. The missile flew about 500 kilometers toward Japan, according to the South Korean military.  (Yonhap)

In response to the recent North Korean Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) test, some are advocating for the ROK to develop nuclear powered submarines:

The need for South Korea to possess a nuclear-powered submarine is increasing as the country moves to counter North Korea’s submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) threat, military experts here said Friday.

They are emphasizing the necessity for Seoul to acquire a submarine with far greater endurance than conventional diesel-electric counterparts after North Korea test-fired an SLBM that flew about 500 kilometers earlier this week. This provocation, which is viewed as a “successful” launch, has fueled concerns about technical improvements in the reclusive country’s missile programs that can threaten global security.

Once a submarine goes underwater, it is hard to track. This makes it very difficult to determine when an SLBM will be launched, which can hinder a timely and effective response.

Many observers have said the best way to counter SLBM threats is to pre-emptively attack the missile-armed submarine in the event of an emergency situation.

If an SLBM is capable of carrying a small nuclear warhead, it can pose a formidable threat, as the North would be able to hit targets theoretically from anywhere with little warning, experts said.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link, but I think the ROK should consider developing nuclear submarines as well as their own advanced SLBM technology to not only put pressure on North Korea, but China as well.  Anti-submarine warfare is something that the Chinese are far behind in and a neighboring country developing their own advanced submarine technology will only further expose this Chinese weakness.  This would put further pressure on China to stop North Korea’s constant provocations against the ROK.

Condolences to the families of these ROK sailors killed this week in what appears to be a horrible accident:

Three South Korean sailors were killed and another seriously injured in an apparent gas explosion Tuesday at a southeastern naval base, military officials said.

The blast occurred about 8:30 a.m. when the men were trying to open the hatch of a midget submarine undergoing repairs at South Korea’s Jinhae naval base, the officials said. The force of the blast tossed one of the sailors into the water.

Military authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion, but it appears to have been an accumulation of gas in the hull, the officials said.  [Stars & Stripes]

You can read more at the link.

Just another example of how serious the North Koreans are about fully developing their SLBM technology:

North Korea is in the midst of building a new naval base on the east coast to accommodate submarines capable of firing submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), a British military media agency said Sunday.

According to the report by IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly, North Korea is currently building the new military facility at a location some 2.25 kilometers from Sinpo Shipyard, the homeport of North Korea’s ballistic missile submarine program, in South Hamgyong Province.

The existing shipyard currently houses 2,000-ton Sinpo-class submarines, which have been used by North Korea to test-fire SLBMs.

The purpose of the new naval base is presumed to be housing submarines larger than the Sinpo-class, the report added.

Sources earlier said Pyongyang is known to be developing a 3,000-ton submarine that can carry more than three SLBMs. The existing Sinpo-class submarine can hold only one SLBM at a time.  [Yonhap]

As I have said before, North Korea developing SLBMs is a game changer because it complicates missile defenses.  Missile defense batteries have to point their radars in the direction of where the threat is coming from.  Right now with North Korea it is easy because their missiles are all launched from a northerly direction from South Korea.  With SLBMs they could come from any direction if the submarines are not properly tracked.

As we have seen with other North Korean missiles the more they test, the better they get at mastering the technology:

North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its east coast on Saturday, but the missile failed in its initial flight stage, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The missile was fired from waters southeast of the coastal port city of Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, at around 11:30 a.m., according to the military.

“The SLBM was ejected from the submarine normally, but (we) estimate the initial flight was unsuccessful,” the JCS said in a brief press release.

“Our military strongly denounces such provocative acts by North Korea,” the JCS noted.

North Korea’s ballistic missile launches are direct violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, including its Musudan missile launches on June 22 and the latest launch, the military said.

Military sources said the latest SLBM appears to have exploded at an altitude of some 10 kilometers after being fired from a submerged 2,000-ton Sinpo-class submarine.

The missile flew only a few kilometers before the presumed explosion, they said.

South Korea’s military said that North Korea has achieved progress in the initial undersea ejection stage of its SLBM technology.

The North is probably in the flight test stage of its SLBM before moving onto the final test phase that will require the missile to hit targets, the sources said.

The North may be ready to deploy its SLBMs for service in about three years, according to the military.  [Yonhap]

You can read more at the link, but out of all of North Korea’s missiles this is the most dangerous and a game changer because it can defeat missile defenses.  That is because submarines can fire without notice from any direction which prevents missile defense units from knowing in which direction to point their radars towards.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out because it appears that the Chinese are all in, in regards to their South China Sea claims, is the US and its regional allies all in as well to deter them?

As a rising power, China is roughly charting the same course the Americans and Soviets did 50 years ago. China has land-based missiles, bombers, and missile submarines. And China is establishing its own bastion — in the South China Sea. This sea grab is a logical response to China’s strategic dilemma.

China’s coming submarine deployment is allegedly in response to the deployment of the American THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea. While it is true that the U.S. is deploying THAAD on the Korean peninsula, the system can only be used against missiles targeting South Korea — coming from China’s ally, North Korea. China’s explanation is designed to make Beijing look like the victim. But China, which has its main submarine missile base adjacent to the South China Sea, has been preparing to sail its missile submarines there for years.

China’s aggression in the South China Sea is not likely merely for aggression’s sake, or the result of a rising power feeling its oats. China is acting out of strategic necessity, something even more dangerous because it feels it is doing something because it must, not simply because it can. The ruling Chinese Communist Party has made the calculation that the strategic benefits — having a safe location for its nuclear missile submarines — outweighs the negative attention the country is receiving worldwide.

What does that mean? It means that Beijing is not going to back down. Chinese nuclear weapons, which are the ultimate guarantor of Communist Party rule, are involved, and anything crucial to the survival of the regime is non-negotiable. Barring a new nuclear strategy — perhaps one that rules out submarines and relies on land-based missiles hidden in tunnels — controlling the sea is a must. Beijing has access to other stretches of the Pacific, but they can be easily accessed by traditional rivals including Taiwan and Japan. The South China Sea, for example, is adjacent to a number of relatively poor, weak states.  [The Week]

You can read the rest at the link.