The underwater fist of Pyongyang. Modern Navy of North Korea

On May 2, 38 North, which monitors the geopolitical situation and the armed forces of North Korea, said that a second North Korean barge for testing underwater launches of ballistic missiles was discovered in commercial satellite photographs. In fact, this is a modification of the Soviet floating submersible stand PSD-4. Missile launches take place from such stands before tests begin directly from submarines.

The first such stand was discovered in North Korea in 2014. The overwhelming majority of North Korean missile launches from submarines are considered by South Korean and American experts to be made from floating submersible stands, and not at all from submarines, as the DPRK claims.

One way or another, the second discovered stand again raised questions: did they plan test launches in the DPRK three years ago, or is it a new own stand, and now the DPRK will accelerate the program to create nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarines (SLBMs).

The National Interest notes that in the 90s of the last century, several old Soviet submarines of project 629 (built back in the 50-60s), capable of launching SLBMs, went to the DPRK for cutting, and the DPRK could either restore them, or during disassembly, join the Soviet military technologies. But there is no evidence for this.

Rather, according to the publication, in 2012-2013, the DPRK began building its own experimental submarine Gorae (or Sinpo - by the name of the shipyard. In theory, it can launch one or two SLBMs from a depth of 10-15 meters, that is, it needs to launch a missile you need to rise higher to the surface (modern boats launch rockets from a depth of up to 50 meters).

There is no exact data on Gorae. The shape of the DPRK boat is reminiscent of the Yugoslav boats of the Sava type of the 70s. It is understood that the operating range does not exceed 750 miles, and the speed is 20 knots. So far, North Korea has been confirmed to have one such submarine, and possibly five more.

American experts do not see much point in Gorae. Such an obsolete submarine will not be able to go on long autonomous voyages (to inflict, for example, an unexpected nuclear strike or a retaliation strike on the enemy). Moreover, she will not be able to leave the port unnoticed, and in the event of hostilities, the air defense and missile defense systems of North Korea will not be able to protect her, which means that she will be immediately sunk. By the way, during the traditional spring exercises of the submarine fleet, the DPRK submarines go to sea for only 3-5 days.

Although extreme options are allowed: that Gorae could miraculously sneak away on a one-way suicide mission at sea to launch missiles at American facilities in Japan, or that the DPRK could manage to launch into South Korea from one of the countless inland bays of the rugged coastline. In this case, South Korea and Japan will have to rely on missile defense. Or you will have to go for a preemptive strike against Gorae and their intended base points.

Context

Tests in the DPRK alerted Russia

Why has North Korea gone silent?

Face to face with North Korea

The media note the fact that Gorae can only be used to test missiles and create more modern and larger North Korean submarines in the future.

As for the North Korean submarine fleet, according to military analyst Joseph Bermudez, North Korea has between 52 and 67 diesel-electric submarines in service. Four Project 613 submarines (built in 1951-57) were supplied by the Soviet Union, but were decommissioned by 2013. Seven Project 633 boats (built in the 1950s) were supplied by China (Chinese modification - Project 033) assembled and another 70 disassembled.

In 2015, according to the Pentagon, the DPRK had up to 70 submarines of various projects in service. According to Jane360, North Korea has also been seen creating dummies of submarines so that they are mistaken for real submarines when filmed from the air or space.

In 2010, an international study was published on the sinking of the Cheonan warship of the South Korean Navy and the death of more than 40 sailors, on the pages of which it was stated that the DPRK had 20 project 633 submarines, 40 small submarines of the San-Oh and San -O II" and 10 midget boats of the Yono class.

By the way, then in 2010, the sinking of the Cheonan was attributed to the DPRK, whose submarine launched a torpedo strike. Despite the outdated submarine fleet of the DPRK, as it turned out, even the ultra-small Yono submarines are quite capable of sinking enemy ships, inflicting unexpected strikes and operating at shallow depths, which since then has been taken seriously when planning operations.

They don’t discount today just a decent number of small and ultra-small submarines in North Korea, which can allow the DPRK fleet to deliver many strikes at the same time and on different targets, as well as carry out mining of waters.

As for the program for creating ballistic missiles of submarines capable of carrying nuclear charges, military experts, despite all the disputes, agree that in the DPRK, after a series of tests of launching missiles from floating submersible stands, sooner or later they will be able to carry out successful launches and with real submarines. In 2014, North Korea was given 2-3 years to achieve this goal.

The materials of InoSMI contain only assessments of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the editors of InoSMI.

More than half a century ago, one of the bloodiest military conflicts of the second half of the last century, the war on the Korean Peninsula, ended. It lasted more than three years and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. After it, 80% of the transport and industrial infrastructure of both Korean states were destroyed, millions of Koreans lost their homes or became refugees. Legally, this war continued for many more decades, since the reconciliation and non-aggression pact between South Korea and the DPRK was signed only in 1991.

Since then, the Korean Peninsula has remained a constant hotbed of tension. The situation in this region either calms down, or again heats up to a dangerous degree, threatening to escalate into the Second Korean War, into which neighboring countries, including the United States and China, will inevitably be drawn. The situation worsened even more after Pyongyang received nuclear weapons. Now, every missile or nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea causes serious international excitement. Recently, such exacerbations occur with a frequency of once every one to two years.

In 2019, the next Korean crisis coincided with the beginning of the work of the new US President Donald Trump, who, during the election campaign, promised the Americans once and for all to solve the problem of the DPRK. However, despite the bellicose rhetoric and a significant buildup of strike forces in the region, the Americans did not dare to start a large-scale war on the peninsula. What is the reason? Why did the American army - by far the strongest on the planet today - never dare to go to war?

The answer is very simple. For more than sixty years, the North Koreans have managed to create one of the strongest and most numerous armies in the world, the fight against which will be a serious test for any enemy. Today, the DPRK has a million people under arms, a large air force, ballistic missiles and an impressive submarine fleet.

North Korea is the last communist totalitarian state on the planet, in terms of the severity of the regime, it even surpasses the USSR of the Stalinist period. A planned economy still operates here, famine occurs from time to time, dissenters are sent to concentration camps, and public executions for North Koreans are a common thing.

North Korea is a closed country, foreigners rarely visit it, and information about the state of the North Korean economy is classified. It is even more difficult to obtain information about the North Korean army, its size and weapons.

According to experts, the DPRK army today ranks fourth (some say fifth) in the world in terms of numbers. The parade of the DPRK army is a truly impressive spectacle that takes the viewer back to the last century. North Korea has long been under international sanctions, which are periodically intensified after Pyongyang conducts another missile launch or nuclear explosion.

The military budget of North Korea is small due to the disastrous economic situation of this country. In 2013, it was only $5 billion. However, over the past decades, the DPRK has been turned into one huge military camp, constantly waiting for attack from South Korea or the United States.

So, what forces does the current leadership of the DPRK have at its disposal, what are the armed forces of this country, what is the nuclear potential of Pyongyang? However, before proceeding to consider the current state of the armed forces of North Korea, a few words should be said about their history.

History of the DPRK army

The first Korean paramilitaries were created in the early 30s of the last century in China. They were led by the Communists and the Koreans fought against the Japanese invaders. By the end of World War II, the Korean People's Army had 188,000 men. One of the commanders of the army was Kim Il Sung - the actual creator of the DPRK and the first of the Kim dynasty, which ruled for almost half a century.

After the end of the war, Korea was divided into two halves - the northern one, which was under the control of the USSR, and the southern one, which was actually occupied by American troops. On June 25, 1950, North Korean troops, having a significant superiority in manpower and equipment, crossed the 38th parallel and moved south. Initially, the campaign was very successful for the North: Seoul fell three days later, and soon the communist armed forces captured up to 90% of the territory of South Korea.

Only a small area, known as the Busan Perimeter, remained under the control of the South Korean government. However, the northerners failed to defeat the enemy with lightning speed, and soon the Western allies came to the aid of the South Koreans.

In September 1950, the Americans intervened in the war, encircling and defeating the North Korean army in a matter of weeks. Only a miracle could save the DPRK from complete defeat, and it happened. At the end of 1950, a Chinese army of thousands crossed the North Korean border and pushed the Americans and South Koreans far to the south. Seoul and Pyongyang returned to the control of the North.

The fighting continued with varying success until 1953, by which time the front line had more or less stabilized near the old border between the two Koreas - the 38th parallel. The turning point of the war was the death of Stalin, shortly after which the Soviet Union decided to withdraw from the conflict. China, left alone with the Western coalition, agreed to a truce. But the peace treaty, which usually ends any armed conflict, between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea has not yet been signed.

Over the following decades, North Korea continued to build communism, with the Soviet Union and China as its main allies. All this time, the North Koreans have invested heavily in the development of the armed forces and the military-industrial complex. The situation in North Korea deteriorated significantly after the collapse of the socialist camp and the introduction of Western sanctions against the country. In 2013, during another aggravation, the leadership of the DPRK tore up all non-aggression pacts with its southern neighbor, and also annulled the treaty on the denuclearization of the peninsula.

According to various estimates, the current strength of the DPRK army ranges from 850,000 to 1.2 million people. Another 4 million people are in direct reserve, in total, 10 million people are fit for military service. The population of the DPRK is 24.7 million people. That is, 4-5% of the population serves in the North Korean armed forces, which can be called a real world record.

The North Korean army is conscripted, both men and women serve in it. The service life is from 5 to 12 years. The draft age is 17 years.

The overall leadership of the power and defense sphere of North Korea, according to the country's constitution, is carried out by the State Defense Committee (GKO), headed by the current leader of the country, Kim Jong-un. The GKO controls the work of the Ministry of People's Armed Forces, as well as other law enforcement agencies. It is the Defense Committee that can declare martial law in the country, conduct mobilization and demobilization, manage reserves and the military-industrial complex. The Ministry of War consists of several departments: Political, Operational and Logistics Department. The direct operational control of the armed forces of the DPRK is carried out by the General Staff.

The armed forces of the DPRK consist of:

• ground forces;
• Navy;
• Air Force;
• Forces of special operations.

In addition, the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Public Security have their own troops. There are also other paramilitary formations: the Workers' and Peasants' Red Guard, the Youth Red Guard, and various people's squads.

Most (and the best) part of the country's armed forces is deployed in close proximity to the demilitarized zone.

North Korea has a highly developed military-industrial complex. It is able to provide the country's armed forces with almost the entire range of weapons and ammunition, with the exception of combat and transport aircraft.

Ground troops

The basis of the armed forces of the DPRK is the ground forces. The main structural associations of the ground forces are the brigade, division, corps and army. Currently, the North Korean army includes 20 corps, including 4 mechanized, 12 infantry, one armored, 2 artillery and a corps that provides the defense of the capital.

Figures regarding the amount of military equipment in service with the ground forces of the DPRK army vary greatly. In the event of war, North Korean generals will be able to count on 4,200 tanks (light, medium and main), 2,500 armored personnel carriers, and 10,000 artillery pieces and mortars (according to other sources, 8,800).

In addition, the ground forces of the DPRK are armed with a large number of multiple launch rocket systems (from 2.5 thousand to 5.5 thousand units). The North Korean Armed Forces have both operational-tactical and tactical missile systems, their total number is 50-60 units. The army of the DPRK is armed with more than 10 thousand anti-aircraft artillery installations and about the same number of MANPADS.

If we talk about armored vehicles, then most of it is represented by obsolete Soviet models or their Chinese copies: tanks T-55, PT-85, Pokphunho (local modification), BMP-1, BTR-60 and BTR-80, BTR-40 (several hundred pieces) and VTT-323, created on the basis of the Chinese BMP VTT-323. There is information that the Korean People's Army is still using even the Soviet T-34-85, preserved from the Korean War.

The North Korean ground forces have a large number of different anti-tank missile systems, most of them are old Soviet models: "Baby", "Bumblebee", "", "".

Air Force

The Air Force of the Korean People's Army is approximately 100 thousand people. Service life in the Air Force and Air Defense Forces is 3-4 years.

The DPRK Air Force consists of four commands, each of which is responsible for its own direction, and six aviation divisions. The country's air force is armed with 1.1 thousand aircraft and helicopters, which makes them one of the most numerous in the world. The North Korean Air Force has 11 air bases, most of which are located near the South Korean border.

The basis of the Air Force fleet is made up of obsolete Soviet or Chinese-made aircraft: MiG-17, MiG-19, MiG-21, as well as Su-25 and MiG-29. The same can be said about combat helicopters, the vast majority of them are Soviet vehicles, Mi-4, Mi-8 and Mi-24. There are also 80 Hughes-500D helicopters.

North Korea has a fairly powerful air defense system, which includes about 9 thousand different anti-aircraft artillery systems. True, all North Korean air defense systems are Soviet complexes of the 60s or 70s of the last century: S-75, S-125, S-200, Kub air defense systems. It should be noted that the DPRK has a lot of these complexes (about a thousand units).

Naval Forces

The Navy of North Korea has a strength of approximately 60 thousand people (as of 2012). It is divided into two components: the East Sea Fleet (operating in the Sea of ​​Japan) and the West Sea Fleet (designed to solve combat missions in the Gulf of Korea and the Yellow Sea).

Today, the North Korean Navy includes approximately 650 ships, their total displacement exceeds 100,000 tons. North Korea has a fairly powerful submarine fleet. It consists of about a hundred submarines of various types and displacements. The North Korean submarine fleet is capable of carrying ballistic missiles with a nuclear warhead.

Most of the ship composition of the DPRK Navy is represented by boats of various types: missile, torpedo, artillery and landing. However, there are also larger vessels: five corvettes with guided missiles, almost two dozen small anti-submarine ships. The main task of the naval forces of North Korea is to cover the coast and the coastal zone.

Special Operations Forces

Probably, the DPRK has the most numerous Special Operations Forces in the world. Various sources estimate their number from 80,000 to 125,000 servicemen. The tasks of the forces include reconnaissance and sabotage operations, countering the special forces of the United States and South Korea, organizing a partisan movement behind enemy lines.

The DPRK MTR includes reconnaissance units, light infantry and sniper units.

Rocket troops

In 2005, North Korea officially announced the creation of its own nuclear weapons. Since then, one of the priorities of the country's military-industrial complex has been the creation of missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

Part of the missile armament of the DPRK Armed Forces are old Soviet missiles or their copies. For example, Hwaseong-11 or Toksa is a tactical missile, a copy of the Soviet Tochka-U with a flight range of 100 km, or Hwaseong-5 is an analogue of the Soviet R-17 missile with a flight range of 300 km.

However, most North Korean missiles are of their own design. North Korea manufactures ballistic missiles not only for the needs of its army, but also actively exports them. Foreign experts believe that over the past 20 years Pyongyang has sold about 1,200 ballistic missiles of various types. Among its buyers are Egypt, Pakistan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Syria and Yemen.

Today, the armed forces of the DPRK are:

• Hwaseong-6 short-range missile, commissioned in 1990. It is an improved modification of the Hwaseong-5 missile with a range of up to 700 km. Between 300 and 600 of these missiles are believed to be currently in service;
• Hwaseong-7 medium-range missile. Adopted in 1997, can hit targets at a distance of 1300 km;
• Medium-range missile "No-Dong-2", it was put into service in 2004, its flight range is 2 thousand km;
• Hwaseong-10 medium-range ballistic missile. It has been in service since 2009, the flight range is up to 4.5 thousand km. It is believed that today Pyongyang may have up to 200 of these missiles;
• Intercontinental ballistic missile "Hwaseong-13" with a range of up to 7.5 thousand km. It was first shown at the parade in 2012. "Hwaseong-13" can reach the territory of the United States, which naturally causes great concern among the Americans. It should also be noted that the DPRK is a member of the club of space states. At the end of 2012, the Gwangmyeonsong-3 artificial satellite was launched into earth orbit.

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

North Korea, and more specifically the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is perhaps the most closed and unexplored country in the world. This ignorance gives rise to a huge number of rumors and scary stories. So, for example, there is information about the brutal murders of ordinary people by the government for rather strange misconduct: the wrong hairstyle, listening to banned music, the execution of the president's mistress for supporting Christianity, and so on. In fact, most of these stories are 99% false and every fact told by the Western media needs to be double-checked.

North Korea is a unique country that has preserved the pro-Soviet course of development in its structure. This is a country known for its belligerent attitude towards most Western countries, especially the United States. In view of this, the leadership allocates a huge amount of forces and means for the defense of the state and the protection of its borders. An important role in this is played by the North Korean fleet. In order to understand what the DPRK Navy is today, it is necessary to turn to the history of the formation of the state and its relations with other countries.

Korean Crisis

After the end of World War II, the territory of Korea was divided between America and the Soviet Union. However, the Koreans wanted to gain sovereignty and for this they organized self-government bodies in different parts of the peninsula. So, in August 1948, the southern part proclaimed itself a separate state, in response to this, on September 9 of the same year, the DPRK was formed. However, the leader of North Korea, Kim Il Sung, was not ready to accept the division of the peninsula into 2 countries, so he began to intensively prepare his troops to capture South Korea. The UN forces, led by the United States, opposed this idea and opposed the troops of Kim Il Sung, at which time China took the side of North Korea. Hostilities lasted until 1953, until a clear line of dividing the peninsula was formed. An absolute dictatorship was established in the DPRK, the ideas of Marxism-Leninism were replaced by Juche ("Reliance on one's own strength").

Over the next three years, the industry of the devastated country was restored to pre-war levels, but the new ideology involved severe restrictions on international trade, which subsequently negatively affected the country's economy. And what about South Korea? After the hostilities of 1950-1953. The United States of America deployed its military forces on this part of the peninsula to counter the aggression from the north. Thus, the Republic of Korea became a US-controlled state. Until today, the DPRK does not maintain diplomatic relations with either South Korea or the United States. NATO troops led by the United States and the leadership of the DPRK have a serious political conflict that could escalate into hostilities with the use of nuclear weapons.

History of the navy of the DPRK Navy

During the formation of the state, in the 40s of the twentieth century, naval protection forces were formed in North Korea with the support of the Soviet Union. Initially, they were subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the DPRK, but after torpedo boats appeared in their armament and a division was formed, they were transformed into a separate type of troops. During the war with South Korea and the United States, the fleet lost most of the ships and was forced to use fishing schooners. The superiority of the US fleet was undeniable, so the only task for the North Korean fleet was to land troops on the enemy’s coast and place minefields. During the war, 2741 mines were laid, such actions helped prevent a serious offensive by US troops from the sea. The remaining forces of warships and equipment of the Marine Corps were thrown into coastal defense, and by the end of the war even artillery and machine-gun brigades were formed.

In 1968, the DPRK navy won a symbolic victory - it captured the US Navy reconnaissance ship Pueblo. This ship penetrated the territorial waters of the enemy to study the activities of the naval forces of the DPRK and identify their reaction and the reaction of the USSR to the appearance of an enemy ship. The reaction was not long in coming. The entire crew was arrested and the ship was towed to port. Almost a year later, the ship's crew was released (and this is in terrible North Korea, where, according to the logic of the media, they should have been shot on the very first day), and the Pueblo is located on the banks of the capital and acts as a trophy or a museum exhibit.

Also, the North Korean fleet was equipped with submarines. But the failures associated with them constantly brought bad news for the country's leadership. So, in 1985, the Project 633 submarine was sunk in the waters of the Yellow Sea with all the officers inside. In 1996, in the Sea of ​​Japan, the submarine ran aground, the crew tried to swim out of the ship, but almost the entire crew was shot by South Korean troops. In 1998, the submarine became entangled in the fishing nets of South Korea - then all the people on the ship committed suicide. At the end of the same year, the DPRK boat was flooded thanks to it. Over the next year, 28 more ships entered South Korean territorial waters - one of them - was also sunk.

The current state of the DPRK fleet

It is not possible to find reliable information about the modern fleet of North Korea in open sources. These are strictly classified facilities, NATO, led by the United States, is at a loss as to what weapons are available to the army and, in particular, the Navy of the DPRK. However, based on incoming information from coastal areas, photographs from space, analyzing ongoing exercises and their combat maneuvers in the seas, one can get closer to understanding their composition, deployment bases and equipment level.

So, the DPRK is armed with 9 large corvettes and frigates. According to available data, these are the following types:

• The ship "Soho" (1 unit), was built in the 80s, has a displacement of 1845 tons, the length is almost 74 meters. Includes the following weapons: 4 P-21/22 rockets, one 100 mm gun, 6 guns from 25 to 37 mm, 4 RBU-1200 launchers. The vessel is equipped with a helipad. Travel speed up to 27 knots.
• Frigate Najin (2 units), length is 102 meters, displacement is 1.5 thousand tons. It is armed with 2 P-21/22 missiles, 2 100mm guns, 6 guns from 25 to 57mm, depth charges. Accelerates to a speed of 24 knots.
• Artillery corvette "Sarivon" (4 units), built in the 60s of the 20th century, length 62 m, displacement of about 500 tons, equipped with six types of weapons from 37 to 85 mm, when moving it reaches 18 knots;
• Artillery corvette "Tral" (2 ships), vessel length 62 m, displacement 500 tons, equipped with 7 types of weapons ranging in size from 37 to 85 mm, speed is 18 knots.

The North Korean Navy also includes missile boats purchased from the USSR and China, as well as boats of its own production for special purposes. It is curious that the latter are even exported to the navies of other countries, for example, they are in service with Iran and Syria. Let's consider them in more detail:

• Type-A - a boat that looks like a fishing boat, is engaged in the transport of military intelligence. Developed in the 90s of the last century. The length is 11 meters. Accelerates to a speed of 50 knots.
• Type-B is a semi-submerged high-speed boat for the transport of paratroopers, it can accommodate a crew of 2 people and three paratroopers. Length 9 meters, speed up to 40 knots. Practically imperceptible externally and poorly visible with the help of radars.
• Type-C - an analogue of type-B with an increased number of seats - a total capacity of 6 people.
• Type-D is a sliding (planing) submarine with a length of 13 meters and a displacement of 10.5 tons. It dives up to 20 m under water, speed on the surface is 50 knots, at a depth of no more than 6.

With regards to submarines, based on the information of military experts, the DPRK has about 100 submarines of various configurations produced in the USSR, China, Yugoslavia, Iran and directly in North Korea.

In March 2016, the Cheonan corvette belonging to the Republic of Korea Navy was blown up in the Yellow Sea near the sea border with the DPRK. Of the 104 people, only 58 crew members managed to escape. The corvette was broken in half. After a long investigation of what happened (experts from the UK, Sweden, Australia and the USA were invited for research), preliminary conclusions were made that the cause was the explosion of a torpedo of the North Korean fleet at a depth of 6-9 meters. According to other sources, the explosion occurred due to the explosion of a mine that has been in the sea since the war.

Nuclear developments in North Korea

Now for the latest developments. North Korea is the youngest nuclear power that is aggressive towards most Western countries and has the fourth largest army in the world. There is reason to believe that Korea has 15-20 nuclear weapons and will probably soon create a small-sized and heavy-duty weapon for assembling a ballistic missile. Considering the fact that the entire territory of Korea is surrounded by NATO-vsky PRS and is able to prevent the launch of a ballistic missile at the stage of accelerating, the North Koreans decided to create submarine missile carriers. In 2014, satellite images of the port of Sinpo were obtained, in which a new, previously unknown submarine was discovered. In a detailed study, it was determined that the submarine with a length of 65 m significantly exceeds all previous submarines of North Korea. The military of NATO, Russia and other countries were most interested in the dimensions of the felling - it was unusually large in appearance, it was covered with a tarpaulin and hid some elements. According to assumptions, it was the assembly for the ballistic missile that was closed.

It is curious that the vertical installation is typical for a number of Soviet submarines, while in the 90s, North Korea, with the help of a chain of intermediaries, acquired several decommissioned Soviet nuclear submarines of this class as scrap metal. This means that North Korean developers got the opportunity to thoroughly study the structure of all combat installations. Subsequently, the 2014-2015 images acknowledged these assumptions. According to unconfirmed reports, the displacement of the ship is 2-2.5 thousand tons, the speed reaches no more than 16 knots, the ability to dive no more than 150-200 m, including the ability to lie on the bottom, the maximum distance that it can make is 5000-6000 km. But the main interest lies in the definition of missile weapons. The ballistic missile is somewhat similar to the Soviet counterpart R-27, which was created in the 60s. It is safe to speak only about the external similarity, since there is no information about its component anywhere. It is authentically known that at least 2 such submarines are in service with the DPRK, in 2015 one of them appeared in the launch of missiles, on May 2, 2017, a second copy was discovered. It can be assumed that several more similar or even improved vessels are under construction.

Between 2014 and 2017, North Korea conducted 13 missile test launches, most of which were from submarines. From the data obtained, it can be seen that the designed submarines at the moment are small in size. They do not allow to accommodate several missiles, as well as to use modern types of fuel that allow launching missiles over long distances. However, tests of vertical launches still showed a flight range of 500 km. It can be concluded that the maximum range when changing the angle will be about 2500 km. Thus, this type of submarine is more likely not a patrolling vessel, but on duty not far from the coast, being at the bottom not far from the coast and not impersonating the work of mechanisms. These weapons can pose a serious threat to the islands belonging to the United States and its allies and located in the Sea of ​​Japan and the Pacific Ocean.

Deployment of the DPRK Navy

The total number of the DPRK Navy as of 2016 is about 60 thousand people, the headquarters is located in Pyongyang. The Navy is divided into two divisions: the eastern one (the area of ​​the Sea of ​​Japan) and the western one (the Yellow Sea, the Gulf of Korea). The accommodation is respectively defined on both sides of the peninsula. They are armed with anti-ship missile systems (the number is not known) and military artillery, represented by the SM-4-1, M-1992, M-46, ML-20 guns. The total number of ships is about 650 units, including the numerous submarine fleet of the DPRK.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that the North Korean fleet is quite outdated in the general mass, but for short-range battles it is very effective. In the absence of diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, the movement of ships between fleets is impossible. Therefore, there are 2 independent shipbuilding bases in the country. It is worth noting that the Navy is also equipped with a large number of mines of various types and configurations. In the event of a naval offensive on the part of the enemy, it is possible to lay minefields, the overcoming of which will require large military and time costs.

Thus, having rather complicated relations with neighboring countries, as well as a serious conflict with such a military monster as North Korea, is forced to pay great attention to defense, in particular to the naval forces of the state. At the same time, given the closeness of the state from the outside world, its opponents are also obliged to closely monitor the actions of North Korea and, if necessary, make effective military decisions. The situation in the area of ​​the Korean Peninsula has recently remained very tense and official statements, threats and actions from both sides of the conflict (DPRK and the United States) do not bode well at the moment.

hufden>> Another successful launch
TT> Why should they? They already have ICBMs that allow them to hit a potential enemy, why waste resources on the naval component of strategic nuclear forces? It is prudent to spend these expenses on something else more important. With aviation, the Kndrovites suck, so they would correct the situation.

ICBMs of the DPRK can be intercepted by US / ROK ground or sea missile defense systems on takeoff. What is the territory then ..

The Sinp'o diesel-electric submarine has an underwater displacement of 1650 tons, a length of 68 m, a width of 6.5 m. The surface speed of the submarine is 16 knots, underwater speed is about 10 knots. Its cruising range is 1500 miles (2800 km), autonomy is approximately 30 days. The armament of the boat includes one launcher in the fencing of retractable devices and in the hull under it for the KN-11 SLBM, as well as 2-4 bow torpedo tubes. This is enough to get close to Guam or the Hawaiian Islands and strike at them.
But, of course, Sinp'o is not a combat boat, but an experimental one, designed to test the KN-11 SLBM. In North Korea, according to foreign sources, the construction of six diesel-electric submarines based on Sinp'o is underway. Obviously, each of them will have two or three launchers for SLBMs. A covered boathouse is being built at the Sinpo Naval Base to assemble the submarines. Two reinforced concrete shelters for missile submarines are also being built there. All these activities require time and a lot of money. Therefore, talking about the adoption of the KN-11-Sinp'o complex in just a year is hardly justified. But in two or three years, he can take up combat duty.

Of particular concern to Seoul is the possibility of the DPRK using ballistic missile submarines to bypass the anti-missile "fence" that the US and South Korea intend to build between the two parts of the country by the end of 2017. "The THAAD missile defense system will have difficulty intercepting submarine-launched ballistic missiles, as they could be fired from anywhere near South Korea," South Korea's Yonhap News agency points out in this regard. Indeed, this task is much more complicated.

And yet, it seems to us, the main goal of Kim Jong-un is not South Korea or Japan. For him, the number one enemy is the United States of America. “In response to the hostile US policy that threatens our sovereignty and right to life,” the DPRK said in a statement, “we will take multi-stage measures to strengthen our nuclear offensive forces.” And if North Korean submarines can break into the Pacific Ocean, they will sneak up on US shores. And then, keeping America at gunpoint, Marshal Kim will be able to talk to Washington on an equal footing.

and one of the most important moments there was probably how this war began at all. Today I came across a slightly different and more complete version of the events that took place during the capture of an American spy ship. Let's get to know her.

The navies of many states have rare ships. They will never go to sea, but to exclude them from the lists of the fleet would mean tearing out the heroic pages of the past from memory and forever losing the continuity of traditions for future generations. Therefore, the Aurora cruiser stands at the Petrogradskaya Embankment in St. Petersburg, and at the docks Portsmouth is dominated by the masts of the 104-gun battleship Victory. The country's naval flag flies over each veteran, a reduced crew of military sailors is on duty, and a special column has been allocated in the Navy budget for their maintenance (note: Aurora was excluded from the Navy in 2010 and transferred to the category of ships museums).

Even the pragmatic United States has its own rare ship - USS Pueblo (AGER-2). Perhaps the most unusual of all warships in the world.

To exclude the Pueblo from the lists of the US Navy would be to raise the white flag and capitulate in the face of the enemy. The little scout is still listed on all Pentagon lists as an active combat unit. And it doesn’t matter that the Pueblo itself has been moored de facto for almost half a century at the embankment in North Korean Pyongyang, and its secret radio-technical “stuffing” has been taken to pieces in the interests of the secret research institutes of the Soviet Union.…

The muzzles of uncovered 50-caliber Brownings stick out helplessly. The walls of the Pueblo's superstructures are blackened with shrapnel wounds, and the decks show brown bloodstains of American sailors. But how did a Yankee warship end up in such a humiliating position?

Capture of the Pueblo

The Pueblo, an electronic intelligence ship, passed according to official US Navy documents as a Banner-type hydrographic ship (Auxiliary General Environmental Research - AGER). Former cargo-passenger ship FP-344, launched in 1944 and subsequently converted for special operations. Full displacement - 895 tons. Crew - about 80 people. Full speed - 12.5 knots. Armament - 2 machine guns of 12.7 mm caliber.

A typical Cold War spy disguised as a harmless science vessel. But behind the modest appearance was a wolf grin. The interiors of the Pueblo's interior resembled a giant supercomputer - long rows of racks with radios, oscilloscopes, tape recorders, cipher machines, and other specific equipment. The task is to monitor the Soviet Navy, measure the electromagnetic fields of Soviet ships, intercept signals at all frequencies in the interests of the National Security Agency (ANB) and naval intelligence of the fleet.

On January 11, 1968, USS Pueblo (AGER-2) left the port of Sasebo and, having passed the Tsushima Strait, entered the Sea of ​​Japan with the task of monitoring the ships of the Pacific Fleet of the USSR Navy. Having circled for several days in the Vladivostok region, the Pueblo moved south along the coast of the Korean Peninsula, simultaneously collecting information about radio emission sources on the territory of the DPRK. The situation was alarming: on January 20, when the scout was at a distance of 15 miles from the naval base on about. Mayan-do watchmen found a warship on the horizon. Poor visibility made it difficult to accurately establish its nationality - the object, which turned out to be a small anti-submarine ship of the DPRK Navy, disappeared without a trace in the evening twilight.

On January 22, two North Korean trawlers appeared near the Pueblo, accompanying the American throughout the day. On the same day, a group of North Korean special forces attempted to assassinate South Korean President Park Chung-hee, but died in a shootout with police.

Bad signs were ignored: "Pueblo" calmly continued its journey along the coast of the DPRK.

On January 23, 1968, X hour struck - at 11:40, a small anti-submarine ship SC-35 of the DPRK Navy approached the Pueblo. With the help of a flag semaphore, the Koreans demanded to indicate the nationality of the ship. The Americans immediately raised the Stars and Stripes from the mast of the Pueblo. This was supposed to cool hot heads and exclude any provocation from the enemy.

Soviet-made small anti-submarine ship

However, from the SC-35 board, an order immediately followed to stop the move, otherwise the Koreans threatened to open fire. The Yankees were playing for time. At this time, three more torpedo boats appeared next to the Pueblo. The situation was taking a dangerous turn. The US flag somehow did not particularly cool the Korean ardor. Pueblo commander Lloyd Bucher checked the map again and checked the navigation radar with his own hand - that's right, the Pueblo is located 15 miles from the coast, outside the territorial waters of the DPRK. However, the Koreans did not think to lag behind - the air was filled with the roar of jet fighters. The air and navy of North Korea were surrounded on all sides by a lone American intelligence officer. Now Commander Bucher understood what the enemy was planning - to encircle the unarmed Pueblo and force it to follow to one of the North Korean ports. As they left Sasebo, he attended a conference with officers from the crew of the reconnaissance ship Banner. Colleagues confirmed that the Soviet and Chinese navies regularly use this tactic in an attempt to lure American spy ships into a trap. However, unlike the Soviet Navy, the North Korean fleet acted more boldly and decisively. After 2 hours of fruitless pursuit, the first shell flew into the Pueblo superstructure, tearing off the leg of one of the American sailors. Next, machine gun shots rumbled across the reconnaissance hull. The Yankees screamed about the attack on all frequencies and rushed to destroy secret equipment.

Dozens of tons of radio electronics and encryption machines, mountains of secret documentation, reports, orders, magnetic tapes with records of negotiations between the North Korean and Soviet military - too much work for three fire axes and two electric paper shredders. Details, documents and magnetic tapes should be dumped into bags for subsequent dumping overboard - having given the necessary orders, Bucher rushed headlong into the radio room. How does the command of the 7th Fleet promise to help him?

The signal about the attack on the US Navy ship was received by the ships of the aircraft carrier strike group, which was located 500 miles south of the Pueblo. The commander of Task Force 71, Rear Admiral Epes, ordered the Phantoms on duty to be immediately put into the air and to destroy to hell all North Korean tin cans trying to get close to the American reconnaissance ship. To which the commander of the supercarrier Enterprise only shrugged his shoulders - he is unlikely to be able to help in this situation. The Enterprise's air wing has not yet recovered from a long transoceanic transition, half of the aircraft have been damaged by a severe typhoon, and the four combat-ready Phantoms on deck carry no weapons other than air-to-air missiles. It will take his guys at least an hour and a half to change weapons and form a full-fledged strike group - but, alas, by then it will probably be too late ...

The destroyers USS Higbee, USS Collet and USS O'Bannon, stationed in Japanese ports, were too far away to provide any assistance to the attacked scout. The promised F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bombers also did not arrive ...

At this time, the Koreans continued to methodically shoot the bridge and the superstructure of the Pueblo with 57 mm guns, hoping to kill the commander and senior officers of the ship. The "headless" ship must quickly raise the "white flag" and accept the conditions of the Korean sailors.

Finally, Commander Butcher realized that help would not come to them, and the Koreans would shoot them all if the Yankees did not fulfill their conditions. The Pueblo stalled and prepared to take on board the capture team. The Yankees did not even try to take the fight - the Brownings on the upper deck remained uncovered. Later, the commander justified himself that only one person from the crew of the Pueblo knew how to handle these weapons.

From the approaching torpedo boat, 8 Korean sailors landed on the deck of the Pueblo, none of whom spoke English. Commander Butcher tried to explain that he was in charge of the ship. The Korean officer signaled the crew to line up along the side and fired a burst from the Kalashnikov over their heads, obviously showing the frightened Yankees that he was now in charge here. And he does not intend to joke with them.

Having descended with the Koreans into the working quarters of radio technicians and cipher makers, Commander Bucher was dumbfounded: the entire deck was littered with bags of documents, details of secret equipment and fragments of magnetic years. They were collected in bags, but no one bothered to throw them overboard! No less surprise awaited them in the radio room: according to Bucher himself, the narrow eyes of the Koreans widened at the sight of how teletypes continue to knock out secret radio messages - the Yankees not only did not destroy the equipment, but did not even try to turn it off!

Effects

The captured Pueblo was escorted to Wonsan. In total, in a skirmish with the DPRK Navy, the reconnaissance crew lost one person killed, the remaining 82 sailors were captured. 10 Americans had injuries of varying severity.

The next day, at the Panmunjeong checkpoint of the Korean militarized zone, negotiations began between representatives of the United States and the DPRK. Rear Admiral John Victor Smith read out an American appeal: the Yankees demanded the immediate release of the hostages, the return of the confiscated hydrographic vessel, and an apology. It was emphasized that the seizure took place at a distance of 15.6 miles from the coast of the Korean Peninsula, outside the territorial waters of the DPRK (according to international rules - 12 miles from the coast).

North Korean General Pak Chung Guk simply laughed in the face of the Americans and said that the border of territorial waters runs where Comrade Kim points out. At the moment, this distance is 50 miles from the coast of North Korea. He, on behalf of his country, expresses a resolute protest against the rude aggressive invasion of the DPRK’s terrorist waters by an armed ship with spy equipment on board, and any talk about the release of the Pueblo crew members can only be carried out after an official apology from the United States.

The negotiations stalled.

On January 28, using the A-12 high-altitude supersonic reconnaissance aircraft (the predecessor of the SR-71), reliable confirmation was received that the Pueblo had been captured by the armed forces of North Korea. The pictures clearly showed that the ship was located at the Wonsan naval base, surrounded by ships of the DPRK Navy.

"Pueblo" from a height of 20 km

At the same time, a letter of gratitude from Commander Bucher arrived from North Korea, in which he confessed to espionage and other sins. The text was composed in accordance with the Juche ideology and could not have been written by an American. But the signature was real. As it became known later, the Koreans beat the Pueblo commander, and when this did not help, they threatened that he would witness the execution of the entire crew, and then die himself. Realizing who he was dealing with, Bucher prudently signed a confession. The crew of the Pueblo spent 11 months in captivity. Finally, on December 23, at 9:00 am, the Americans made an official apology to the North Korean side, and at 11:30 am on the same day, the extradition of prisoners of war began at the Panmunjeon checkpoint. A medical examination revealed traces of abuse and beatings on the sailors, all suffered from exhaustion (although who in the DPRK does not suffer from exhaustion?). At the same time, no serious injuries, mutilations or mental disorders were recorded: the Koreans treated the Americans as if they were prisoners in a regular prison. There were no sensational reports about the atrocities in captivity.

At home, sailors were greeted as real heroes. However, already in January 1969, a trial was opened - 200 hours of meetings, 140 witnesses. Pentagon officials were outraged that for the first time in 160 years an American ship had been handed over to the enemy. With a full set of secret equipment!

Why did the commander, under the threat of capturing the Pueblo, not dare to sink his ship? Or at least destroy the most valuable equipment? The cipher machines fell into the hands of the North Koreans - a direct threat to US national security, plus everything, the captured ship will most likely be put up somewhere in a conspicuous place, which will damage America's image.

Lloyd Bucher justified himself by the fact that a couple of months before the campaign he turned to the command of the fleet with a request to install explosive devices - to quickly undermine and destroy secret equipment. However, his request remained unsatisfied.

Finally, why didn't the great and invincible American air force come to the aid of the Pueblo? Where was the Enterprise supercarrier clicking its beak at that time?

During the process, all new facts of the mess in the US Navy were revealed. Finally, the Yankees decided to stop the tragicomedy and begin to constructively address the identified problems. By decision of the commander of the Navy, John Chaffee, the case was closed. Commander Bucher was fully justified.

The main mistake in the Pueblo incident was the wrong calculation of the adequacy of the DPRK. The Yankees were sure that they were acting against an ally of the USSR, which meant that there was no one to fear: Soviet sailors always observed the norms of international maritime law and would never touch an American ship outside the 12-mile zone of territorial waters. Even in the open ocean, Soviet reconnaissance (communication ships - SSV) and their American "colleagues" (GER / AGER) - the same miserable unarmed "pelvis", boldly approached the squadrons of the "probable enemy", rightly believing that their security was ensured by military and the political power of their countries, interpreted as a flag flying over them.

American fears about the seizure of secret equipment were not in vain: Soviet specialists immediately dismantled and removed to the USSR a number of secret equipment, incl. cipher machines class KW-7. Using this equipment, coupled with tables, codes, and descriptions of cryptographic schemes obtained by the KGB with the help of warrant officer Johnny Walker, Soviet cryptographers were able to decipher about a million intercepted US Navy messages.

The Capture of the USS Pueblo and Its Effect on SIGINT Operations, Declassified and release by NSA on 12-20-2006