North Korea has launched its latest submarine, with the ceremony attended by leader Kim Jong Un.
The Sinpo-C class submarine is the latest and most potent addition to North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.
A modified Russian design, it uses a diesel engine that can in turn charge a series of batteries, allowing the submarine to run virtually silent when needed. Diesel-electric propulsion is a decades-old technology, but North Korea has radically altered the design, stretching the sail to include some missile launch tubes.
Analysis of the photos of this new submarine, named Hero Kim Kun Ok, suggests it can silently transport and launch 10 Pukguksong-3 missiles while still submerged.
This is a huge leap in capabilities for North Korea.
Long-range missiles launched from land would be quickly spotted and tracked as anti-missile batteries were alerted. However, this new submarine would, in theory, be able to travel underwater, closing in stealthily on its target. The closer the sub could get, the less distance is needed for the missile to travel to its target, giving very little time for the target to react and defend itself.
Source from www.aljazeera.com