Can The U.S Take On North Korea?

[OrionHunter]

North Korean military parade

Well, this one’s not about a full scale war between N Korea and the U.S. but against the strategic assets of America in and around South Korea. What is the US and South Korea up against? What is the force level they would be facing?

Some must be under the impression that N Korea will be a pushover where a conventional war is concerned and due to this asymmetry in force levels, N Korea would be forced to deploy nuclear weapons. This scenario is most unlikely. However, if the US mounts a preemptive strike on North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear plants, North Korea will retaliate with weapons of mass destruction: North Korea will mount strategic nuclear attacks on US targets.

But take a look at what N Korea can throw against the combined U.S – S Korean forces and you’ll realise it’s not going to be easy to defeat N Korea into submission.

Western press and analysts distort the truth and depict North Korea as an "impoverished" nation, starving and on the brink of imminent collapse. An impoverished, starving nation cannot face down a military superpower. Today few nations have military assets strong enough to challenge the US military.

Yes they can! In the Korean Peninsula!

North Korea's military is organized into several independent, totally integrated and self-sufficient fighting units that are ready for action at any time. But the most important factors of all are the levels of motivation and indoctrination of the N Korean soldiers willing to lay down their lives for their ‘king’.

N Korean Ground Forces

North Korea's regular Army:

North Korea army is composed of approximately 1,003,000 personnel organized into 20 corps consisting of 176 divisions and brigades, 8,000 heavy guns, and 2,000 tanks placed in more than 4,000 hardened bunkers within 150 km of the DMZ.

Four corps in the forward areas.
Eight corps in the rear areas.
One tank corps
Four armored corps
Two artillery corps
One corps for the defense of Pyongyang
25 Special Forces brigades (possibly the largest in the world).

(North Korea has 80 infantry divisions* and brigades. South Korea in contrast has 19 infantry divisions).

*A North Korean infantry division has 3 infantry regiments, 1 artillery regiment (3 battalions of 122 mm rocket launchers and 1 battalion of 152 mortars), one tank battalion of 31 tanks, one anti-tank battalion, one anti-aircraft battalion, one engineer battalion, one communication battalion, one light-infantry battalion, one recon battalion, and one chemical warfare battalion.

Artillery

The two Artillery corps mentioned above consist of 30 Artillery brigades equipped with 120mm self-propelled guns, 152mm self-propelled mortars, 170mm guns with a range of 50 km, 240 mm multiple rocket launchers with a range of 45 km, and other heavy guns. In all, North Korea has about 18,000 heavy guns.

Since most of the ‘big boys’ are deployed in tunnels with shoot and scoot capabilities, the US/S Korean recon and counter bombardment assets will be severely restricted. Even the cruise missiles fired from American Naval Strike Groups would find it difficult to hit the well concealed N Korean long range artillery gun positions. The US army bases at Yijong-bu, Paju, Yon-chun, Munsan, Ding-gu-chun, and Pochun could be obliterated in a matter of hours!

The Tank Corps

Where N Korea’s tank corps is concerned, it has one tank corps and 15 independent tank brigades. The tank corps has 5 tank regiments (brigades), each of which has 4 heavy tank battalions, 1 light-tank battalion, one mechanized infantry battalion, and 2 self-propelled artillery battalions.

North Korea has developed tanks ideally suited for the riverine terrain and mountains of Korea. These tanks are called "Chun-ma-ho", which can navigate steep slopes and cross rivers as much as 5.5 m deep. North Korea's main battle tanks, - the T-62s - have 155 mm guns and can travel as fast as 60 km per hour.

Though the much heavier US Abrams is superior in most respects, the combined US/S Korean armored forces will find it extremely difficult to maneuver in such terrain.

Armored / Mechanized Corps

North Korea has 4 mechanized corps consisting of 24 mechanized brigades. Each brigade has 1 tank battalion (31 tanks), 1 armored battalion (46 armored cars), 4 infantry battalions, one 122mm battalion (18 guns), one 152 mm battalion (18 guns), one anti-aircraft battalion (18 guns), anti-tank battalion (9 armored cars with *anti-tank missiles and 12 anti-tank guns), one armored recon company (3 light armored cars, 7 armored cars, and 8 motor-cycles), one mortar company (6 mortars), one engineer company, one chemical company, and one communication company.

* North Korea has more than 15,000 shoulder-fired anti-air missiles ("wha-sung").

Special Forces

North Korea has possibly the largest number of Special Forces in the world, 25 brigades consisting of 120,000 spec ops troops. These troops are grouped into light infantry brigades, attack brigades, air-borne brigades, and sea-borne brigades. These troops will be tasked to attack US military installations in Korea, Japan, Okinawa and Guam.

(WMDs/NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) weapons and delivery systems are not being discussed here. This would require a separate thread. But check out the link below for more details).

Air Force

DPRKAF MiG-29C armed with R-60 missiles

Much of N Korea’s air force is obsolete consisting of the older MiG series like the MiG-21 and a few later MiG variants like the MiG-25MLs and MiG-29s. In addition, they have Su-25s and J-6s - about 1000 fighter planes in all. Needless to say, their air force is no match for US planes. The KPAF is primarily an air defense force, with limited offensive capability. However, the latter should also be wary of the more than 15,000 shoulder fired anti aircraft missiles in N Korea’s armory. Even a 1% overall kill probability would mean unacceptable damage to the USAF in the theatre.

Check out the AA defenses along the DMZ and Pyongyang:

AA templates along DMZ

AA template around Pyongyang. A veritable
fortress!

In addition to the above….

North Korea's Militias

1.6 million self-defense personnel, 100,000 people's guards, 3.9 million worker’s militia, 900,000 youth guard. These militias are tasked to defend the homeland. The militias are fully armed and undergo military training regularly.

The Demilitarized Zone(DMZ) between the two Koreas

Tunnel Warfare

When it comes to hand to hand combat and tunnel/trench warfare with extremely well indoctrinated/brainwashed troops like the North Koreans, global military rankings are of little consequence.

North Korea is the world's most-tunneled nation. North Korea's expertise in digging tunnels for warfare was demonstrated during the Vietnam War. North Korea had dispatched many tunnel warfare experts to Vietnam to help dig the 250 km tunnels for the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops in South Vietnam. The tunnels were instrumental in the Vietnamese victory.

Tunnel warfare is conducted by independent company-size units. Tunnel entrances are built to withstand US chemical and biological attacks. Tunnels run zig-zag and have seals, air-purification units, and safe places for the troops to rest. North Korea has built about 20 large tunnels near the DMZ. A large tunnel can transport approx 12000 - 15,000 troops per hour across the DMZ.

What experience do the US Forces have in tunnel warfare? Nix!

So, those who think that North Korea will be a cake walk and that the combined US/S Korean Forces can win a war in short time in the Korean peninsula may like to think again! It’s not going to be easy!



Refs:
Korean People's Army - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
N Korea Military Tactics In A War With US
North Korea and weapons of mass destruction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
History of North Korea - Chapter 3

 

[lem34]

I suppose if we look at American successes in Afghanistan one would have to say that NK have nukes so Americans may not have the same success they have had in Afghanistan in NK

 

[Yaduveer]

I suppose if we look at American successes in Afghanistan one would have to say that NK have nukes so Americans may not have the same success they have had in Afghanistan in NK

It's idiotic to think America has lost battle in Afghanistan .. Look USA has dual role .. destroying the opposition and rebuilding it again.... In afghanistan case .. USA has failed in latter case... but None can question the destroying part. For USA North Korea is like irritating mosquito...

 

[Developereo]

NK's biggest trump card is not the size of its army but the fact that they can bake Seoul if attacked.

Neither the US, not the SK dare move a finger.

 

[OrionHunter]

For USA North Korea is like irritating mosquito...

Yep! But this mosquito can bite, and how!......and meningitis kills!

 

[Fanling Monk]

NK's biggest trump card is not the size of its army but the fact that they can bake Seoul if attacked.

Neither the US, not the SK dare move a finger.

The North Korea soldiers are indoctrinated that the US and South Korea are ultimate evils. In case of war, they'll storm southward in waves of human waves. The South has been living in nightmares thinking about this scenario. Also China will not standby if US comes in.

Because of these 2 factors, it is unlikely the US has the political will to fight another major war in the peninsular after 60 years of detente.

 

[nomi007]

Yep! But this mosquito can bite, and how!......and meningitis kills!

kindly use positive language

why usa attack on n-korea
they are not Muslim
they have no oil
they are not directly thread for Israel

 

[Avisheik]

If they pi$$ off the US enough, They will be torn apart. But without any spark or fuel, i doubt the US will attack them

kindly use positive language

why usa attack on n-korea
they are not Muslim
they have no oil
they are not directly thread for Israel

Japan and south korea are their allies. They have economic interest with each other. Most importantly they have nukes which are controlled by madmen.

 

[saiyan0321]

Japan and south korea are their allies. They have economic interest with each other. Most importantly they have nukes which are controlled by madmen.

not happening us is being put away by its master israel to attack iran and us is slow on that they wont attack north korea untill korea attacks us on its soil

 

[Backbencher]

Its like asking "Can a swimmer swim"

 

[Amuroray]

China would get involved.

100%sure.

 

[longbrained]

They have nukes and no oil. So why go there?

 

[Mosamania]

North korea is one of the most militarized nations on earth. Despite south Korea being the third closest nation to KSA after Egypt and Pakistan I still greatly awe north Korean military.

 

[harpoon]

Seoul is finished in the first hours of war itself. I never understood the SK logic of placing their capital and majority of their population so close to DMZ

North korea is one of the most militarized nations on earth. Despite south Korea being the third closest nation to KSA after Egypt and Pakistan I still greatly awe north Korean military.

You can also have that if you conscript your entire population to Army.

 

[Raphael]

^North Korean missiles can reach anywhere in the peninsula.