North Korea Defence Forum

[foxhoundbis]

North Korea pitched state-of-the-art submarine system to Taiwan military: report

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A such claim seems to me dubious, if not a fake news because it is simply a matter of logic. I don't see NK to risk problems with RPC just to acquire "money". Let's to be clear without RPC's help, the regime at Pyongyang could not stay alive. This is another western stupid gossips, lies against NK by western medias, in order to trigger incidents between NK, and RPC. But again they will fail. Taiwan is not a country, it is a part of RPC, with the actual decline of US, China's calculus are to retrieve this province -and not a country- maybe at the end of the next decade, without firing one shot. Chinese economy is the strongest in the world, chinese military are becoming more and more stronger a would be the first at the middle of the next decade, moreover NK is a masterpiece in the hands of RPC. Furthermore the world embargo against NK failed because RPC's help. Once this said, sincerely it would be imbecile from the Pyongyang's direction to help Taiwan -member of western alliance, hostile to NK- to win few years of existence against RPC that is the nearest ally of NK. There is strong problem of Logic in such gossips.

 

[Websorber]

KJU guides firing drill from east coast

 

[Websorber]

North Korea’s latest Missile Launch in 3D

https://twitter.com/x/status/1125993165788536832

 

[Websorber]

North Korea’s Newest Ballistic Missile: A Preliminary Assessment

https://www.38north.org/2019/05/melleman050819/

 

[Websorber]

North Korean SRBM launch May 9th

https://twitter.com/x/status/1127277158588719105

 

[foxhoundbis]

North Korean SRBM launch May 9th

I left you a message in your youtube channel. I asked you, if you can have some clues about the Howitzer tested, showed in the end of the video. This Howitzer would be amazing too.

 

[Websorber]

I left you a message in your youtube channel. I asked you, if you can have some clues about the Howitzer tested, showed in the end of the video. This Howitzer would be amazing too.

Wish I could help here but Howitzers aren't really my thing
Sorry

 

[Websorber]

Preliminary Analysis: KN-23 SRBM

https://www.nonproliferation.org/preliminary-analysis-kn-23-srbm/

 

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Sure that all the readers should concur with your statement, as the DPRK's technological achievements are really amazing. North Korea is trully Asia.
North Korea makes us all proud to be Asians. Fingers crossed and God speed, here in China, none can wait until 2020, when the first North Korean astronaut would be launched into space aboard an indigeneously made launcher!
Here a brief sneak peek at the DPRK's outstanding past and future space milestones!

Spoiler: Links

https://defence.pk/pdf/attachments/...4/?temp_hash=5d44bf49994d779d43ad1ae99331ab3b

▲ DPRK Strategic Focus Tree, as of 2018.

Commentary

Confirmed, from now on, North Korea can send a man into space into a suborbital flight any time it wants!

An unknown new space launcher suitable to launch a single astronaut into a suborbital spaceflight and maybe even into LEO, and based on a Hwasong-15 ICBM seems to have been revealed on the occasion of the 70th Arirang Mass Games, called The Glorious Country, held in September 2018. The depiction an astronaut along a manned spacecraft stacked on a rocket stage powered by two engines and extended by a skirt, thus similar to the Hwasong-15 configuration, has been displayed with a new civilian mosltly white paint, instead of the mostly black military paint.

Spoiler: Links

https://i.imgur.com/POuD0B2.jpg

▲ Picture from a video published on Sep 25, 2018, of the 70th Arirang Mass Games, called The Glorious Country, taken at T=0:54:07.

Spoiler: Link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F42BzUHsnQ

▲ Video published on Sep 25, 2018, of the 70th Arirang Mass Games, called The Glorious Country.

Spoiler: Links

https://i.imgur.com/tlNwBlw.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Djb_NnzV4AEcLEO.jpg
https://twitter.com/isnjh/status/1024286771373199361?lang=fa

▲ Speculative artistic rendering of the civilian Hwasong-15 TEL launched rocket. 6:32 AM - 31 Jul 2018.

See also:
• [단독] “북한 새 인공위성, 이동식 발사대로 조만간 발사 계획”; 2017.12.26; https://news.joins.com/article/22233031

Confirmation of the existence of a civilian space launcher based on the Hwasong-15 ICBM, first disclosed on the occasion of the 70th Arirang Mass Games, called The Glorious Country, held in September 2018.
This second time disclosure, has taken place on the occasion of the Celebrations of New Year's Day on January 1st 2019, in Pyongyang, seemingly at the Kim Il Sun Square.
In a modus operandi that now seems familiar to the foreign GEOINT/OSINT analysts, pictures of young children playing with kites have been used to display the drawing of some new space launchers.
Last year in the same place, a future Unha (Unha-9?) space launcher painted on a kid's kite during the Day of The Shining Star 2018 on 16 February 2018, and Korean New Year 2018 holiday period, at Kim Il Sun Square, Pyongyan, was presented.
This January 1st 2019, New Year's Day, two flying kites with the new civilian space launcher based on the Hwasong-15 ICBM, have figured prominently!

Spoiler: Link

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7832/32689838498_e0bb7e8046_b.jpg

Celebrating New Year's Day January 1 in various places -_3
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dprktoday/32689838498/

▲ January 1st 2019, New Year's Day, two flying kites with the new civilian space launcher based on the Hwasong-15 ICBM, have figured prominently! Uploaded on January 2, 2019

Spoiler: Link

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7836/32689838748_2ee771966c_b.jpg
Celebrating New Year's Day January 1 in various places -_2
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dprktoday/32689838748/

▲ January 1st 2019, New Year's Day, two flying kites with the new civilian space launcher based on the Hwasong-15 ICBM, have figured prominently! Uploaded on January 2, 2019

Upcoming Manned Suborbital Mobile Launcher: Third Hint

Confirmation of the existence of a civilian space launcher based on the Hwasong-15 ICBM, first disclosed on the occasion of the 70th Arirang Mass Games, called The Glorious Country, held in September 2018.

The second time disclosure, has taken place on the occasion of the Celebrations of New Year's Day on January 1st 2019, in Pyongyang, seemingly at the Kim Il Sun Square.

In a modus operandi that now seems familiar to the foreign GEOINT/OSINT analysts, pictures of young children playing with kites have been used to display the drawing of some new space launchers.

Last year in the same place, a future Unha (Unha-9?) space launcher painted on a kid's kite during the Day of The Shining Star 2018 on 16 February 2018, and Korean New Year 2018 holiday period, at Kim Il Sun Square, Pyongyan, was presented.

This January 1st 2019, New Year's Day, two flying kites with the new civilian space launcher based on the Hwasong-15 ICBM, have figured prominently!

Spoiler: Link

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7832/32689838498_e0bb7e8046_b.jpg

Celebrating New Year's Day January 1 in various places -_3
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dprktoday/32689838498/

▲ January 1st 2019, New Year's Day, two flying kites with the new civilian space launcher based on the Hwasong-15 ICBM, have figured prominently! Uploaded on January 2, 2019

Spoiler: Link

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7836/32689838748_2ee771966c_b.jpg
Celebrating New Year's Day January 1 in various places -_2
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dprktoday/32689838748/

▲ January 1st 2019, New Year's Day, two flying kites with the new civilian space launcher based on the Hwasong-15 ICBM, have figured prominently! Uploaded on January 2, 2019

The third occurence has just taken place on the occasion of the Korean holiday (元宵節) celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar on February 19, 2019.
Again children have been photographed with the Hwasong-15 SLV drawn on a flying kite.

Spoiler: Link

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7853/47151055221_3de3c8efd0_b.jpg
Confirming the bright future of socialist motherland, 사회주의조국의 휘황한 미래를 확신하며 맞이한 정월대보름명절_5
Uploaded on February 20, 2019
https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7827/47151055621_48613f7e45_b.jpg
http://www.dprktoday.com/content/photo/2019/20190220-pt15228-1.jpg
http://www.dprktoday.com/content/photo/2019/20190220-pt15228-5.jpg
http://www.dprktoday.com/index.php?type=42&no=15228
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dprktoday/47151055221/

▲ February 19, 2019, Korean holiday (元宵節), a flying kite with the new civilian space launcher based on the Hwasong-15 ICBM, have figured prominently for the second time of the year! Uploaded on February 20, 2019.

Spoiler: Links

https://defence.pk/pdf/attachments/...7/?temp_hash=bc12e3cefd4d538998cbc72503d9eb8c
https://image.spreadshirtmedia.com/...88/astronaut-moon-iran-flag-men-s-t-shirt.jpg
https://www.spreadshirt.com/astrona...pB1Hpey9nRGA1-qETJ4&appearance=2&color=000000

▲ Flashforward from Semnan

Upcoming Manned Suborbital Launch: Fourth Hint

Following the first disclosure on the occasion of the 70th Arirang Mass Games, called The Glorious Country, held in September 2018, of a civilian space launcher based on the Hwasong-15 ICBM, this year, the grand mass gymnastics and artistic performance "The Land of the People' being staged at May Day Stadium on the picturesque "Rungna Island in Pyongyang, goes even one step further!

The extravaganza consisting of several acts and scenes, features a special performance spectacularly enacting the first ever spaceflight of a North Korean "rocketman", literally!

http://web.archive.org/save/_embed/https://i.imgur.com//GAePWCY.jpg ; https://archive.is/QzzkU/4b32b50e3e9f1bdfc37411b10b265a5d585d9ece.jpg
▲ 1. Pyongyang Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance (2019) 'Land of the People'. Poster with an illustration emphasising obviously a nightly space launch.

http://web.archive.org/web/20190716232324if_/https://i.giphy.com/U7VYyQST6uePWU7y0u.gif ; https://archive.fo/dbYAz/2485afa0359b1303fde2b93c887b40e8f947ae6a.gif
▲ 2. Pyongyang Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance (2019) 'Land of the People'. Rocketman taking off with a booster attached on its feet.

▲ 3. Pyongyang Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance (2019) 'Land of the People'. Video of Rocketman taking off with a booster attached on its feet at T=59s.

 

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Spurred on by uproar over satellites, Iran relaunches manned space program

Sep 15, 2017

TEHRAN – Iran’s on-off space program has received a boost from Washington’s irritation at a recent satellite launch by the middle eastern nation, with Tehran dusting off plans for a manned mission, perhaps with Moscow’s assistance.

“Ten skilled pilots are currently undergoing difficult and intensive training so that two of them … can be selected for the space launch,” the head of the science ministry’s aerospace research center, Fathollah Omi, told the state broadcaster last week.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2...relaunches-space-ambitions-uproar-satellites/


Official: Iran to Send Astronaut Robot, Human to Space

Mon Sep 11, 2017 6:6

TEHRAN (FNA)- Head of Iran's Aerospace Research Center Fathollah Ommi announced the country's plans to send an astronaut robot to space before sending a human being in the next 8 years.

"The project to send a man to orbit should be implemented by 2025 and before that we will have a project to send human beings to suborbital Earth," Ommi said on Monday.

He also said that Iranian experts will likely send an astronaut robot along with a bio-capsule before a manned mission.

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960620001596

Spoiler: Links

https://defence.pk/pdf/attachments/...5/?temp_hash=88c8d1506d469c8ab8299a4e3c92ff09
http://
http://
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxBj71x2wtE

▲ At T=40:02 a North Korean astronaut inside a spacecraft called Milaeho (미래호, 未來號: future, pending), from a New Year 2018 show. Video published on Jan 1, 2018

Spoiler: Links

https://defence.pk/pdf/attachments/...6/?temp_hash=a780e71292e56a4288a3770f04ca8e46
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4639/38564306055_85e094d810_b.jpg

https://flic.kr/p/38564306055

▲ 10 North Korean astronauts as depicted in a New Year 2018 show

Spoiler: Links

https://defence.pk/pdf/attachments/...7/?temp_hash=a780e71292e56a4288a3770f04ca8e46
http://
http://
Iran summary of past satellite & space launches ایران گذشته از پرتاب ماهواره ها به فضا
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnTao3GSfUA

▲ CGI of Iranian asronaut by 2020 in a IRIBNEWS TV footage.
Notice the many similarities with the North Korean spacesuit: from the head part, torso, flag location and size, etc. Video published on Feb 10, 2018

Commentary

Both Iran and North Korea have disclosed their intention to send a man into space by 2021.
As stated by Iran, 10 pilots have already been pre-selected by 2017, and two of them will be the final asronauts.
Taking into account that two years in average are required to train an astronaut, the selection process for North Korea should have started, as hinted by the 2018 New Year show.
In addition the 10 astronauts of the show corroborates the number of 10 Iranian pilots. Therefore one should assume that North Korea is also currently training 10 pilots.

North Korea's first 10 astronauts selection: Second Hint

Following the first depiction of 10 North Korean astronauts in a New Year 2018 show, a second occurrence has just confirmed the previous disclosure.
Timely released as Iranian media have restated the plan by Iran to send a man into space.

Iran Ranks 1st in Mideast in Aerospace Engineering

Tue Jun 25, 2019 1:20

Also, Head of Iran's National Space Center Manouchehr Manteqi announced in October that the country planned to cooperate with Russia in sending men into space for the first time.

"Because sending human being into space needs lots of expenses, and different countries use each other's possibilities, and at present, Russia's possibilities are almost complete, we have decided to do the mission in cooperation with Russia," Manteqi told reporters in Tehran.

https://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980404000344

This new video uploaded on 21 May 2019 features a Chosun Central TV (조선중앙TV) program (2015년 화록: Year 2015 compilation) with 10 acrobats of the National University Arts (국립교예단) dressed in spacesuits, in a performance called "The Call of the Universe (부른다우주는)".

Also notice the ratio of one female astronaut for 9 males, matching the standard practice of China's manned space program.

https://archive.fo/j2ndI/b60620e1d2ed786d10a1ce9e40c17ea0550e0431.jpg ; http://web.archive.org/web/20190718202248/https://i.imgur.com//QSSUwAG.jpg
▲ 1. The Call of the Universe 부른다우주는, 2015년 화록 Year 2015 compilation, 조선중앙TV Chosun Central TV, [명랑한 텔레비죤무대] 명랑한 텔레비죤무대, Video Published on May 21, 2019

https://archive.fo/0b2xr/360a69ac0b7a43fe321ba4b54e1c96ea0b31f98c.jpg ; http://web.archive.org/web/20190718202609/https://i.imgur.com//1VBxWFE.jpg
▲ 2. The Call of the Universe 부른다우주는, 2015년 화록 Year 2015 compilation, 조선중앙TV Chosun Central TV, [명랑한 텔레비죤무대] 명랑한 텔레비죤무대, Video Published on May 21, 2019.
Ten acrobats dressed in spacesuits suggesting a 10 astronauts selection, with one female astronaut.

https://media.giphy.com/media/dCL3VHIAIgQUGiiTQX/giphy.gif ; https://media.giphy.com/media/kBlG4NqSkYBdZmScur/giphy.gif ; http://web.archive.org/web/20190718201721/https://i.imgur.com//IOQo6w8.mp4 ; http://web.archive.org/web/20190718201722/https://i.imgur.com//NK43bS6.mp4
▲ 3. The Call of the Universe 부른다우주는, 2015년 화록 Year 2015 compilation, 조선중앙TV Chosun Central TV, [명랑한 텔레비죤무대] 명랑한 텔레비죤무대, Video Published on May 21, 2019

youtu.be/lgl_Lp-5-5o?t=836 ; http://dprktoday.com/index.php?type=24&no=19319#pos ; http://dprktoday.com/temp/youtubeplayer.php?type=24&no=19319 ; http://dprktoday.com/index.php?type=24&no=18123&page=1&for=k
▲ 3. The Call of the Universe 부른다우주는, 2015년 화록 Year 2015 compilation, 조선중앙TV Chosun Central TV, [명랑한 텔레비죤무대] 명랑한 텔레비죤무대, Video Published on May 21, 2019

 

[Galactic Penguin SST]

North Korea's New Strategic Submarine

Completing the North Korean nuclear doublet. According to some foreign intelligence estimates, the submarine’s submerged displacement is thought to be in excess of 2,000 tons with a beam measurement of 11 meters. The vessel is likely the largest ever to be built for the Korean People’s Navy.

“This vessel looks much larger than the previous submarine. From the limited imagery, it’s possible it has a missile bay capable of accommodating as many as four ballistic missiles.”

http://web.archive.org/web/20190723...ets/Specials/Pukguksong-3_GLBM/analysis_a.jpg ; https://archive.fo/nBGSG/b4a1f136bd5fca533e424d5de44ec4d188816f49.jpg
▲ 1. Pukguksong-3 SLBM awaiting live first test launch. July 2019

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Inspects Newly Built Submarine


Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, inspected a newly built submarine.

The submarine built under the meticulous guidance and special attention of Supreme Leader of the Party, state and armed forces Kim Jong Un will perform its duty in the operational waters of the East Sea of Korea and its operational deployment is near at hand.

Making a round of the submarine, the Supreme Leader learned in detail about its operational and tactical data and combat weapon systems.

He expressed great satisfaction over the fact that the submarine was designed and built to be capable of fully implementing the military strategic intention of the Party under various circumstances.

Saying that the operational capacity of a submarine is an important component in national defence of our country bounded on its east and west by sea, he stressed the need to steadily and reliably increase the national defence capability by directing big efforts to the development of the naval weapons and equipment such as submarine.

Explaining the Party's strategic plan for the use of submarine and underwater operation, he elaborated on the immediate duty and strategic tasks facing the field of national defence science and submarine industry to carry out the plan.

He said with pride that the successful building of the Korean-style powerful submarine is the fruition of the noble patriotism and loyalty of officials, scientists, technicians and workers in the field of national defence science and munitions factories who have worked hard to boost national defence capability, true to the Party's policy on attaching importance to defence science and technology, and another great demonstration of the might of our defence industry making a leap forward.

He was accompanied by Jo Yong Won, Hong Yong Chil, Yu Jin, Kim Jong Sik, Ri Jong Sik, Choe Myong Chol, Jang Chang Ha and other senior officials of the Party Central Committee and the field of national defence science. -0-

http://web.archive.org/web/20190723013706/http://www.dprktoday.com/index.php?type=81&no=1361

http://web.archive.org/web/20190723.../multi_yongsang4_2019-07-23_dn91402/img/1.jpg ; https://archive.fo/D1pZ3/634bdebe06f3bd1def58cd86b798d97e8dd03292.jpg
▲ 2. Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Inspects Newly Built Submarine. July 2019.

http://web.archive.org/web/20190723.../multi_yongsang4_2019-07-23_dn91402/img/2.jpg ; https://archive.fo/n4LLi/f5327f76f7f7542b7ca559d1375cdf450f9de582.jpg
▲ 3. Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Inspects Newly Built Submarine. July 2019.

http://web.archive.org/web/20190723.../multi_yongsang4_2019-07-23_dn91402/img/3.jpg ; https://archive.is/Uzwnw/c46f930d29b847ea87c1d1c39ac27324f4f6a392.jpg
▲ 4. Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Inspects Newly Built Submarine. July 2019.

​

 

[sahureka2]

HI Sutton, after viewing the few images, found some features that led him to think that it was derived from the Romeo class, although there are no images of the upper part of the submarine, the author of the article hypothesizes the presence of an enlarged sail capable of hosting launchers for the KN-11 ballistic missile
http://www.hisutton.com/images/DPRK_Romeo-Mod_Profile940.jpg

 

[foxhoundbis]

https://militarywatchmagazine.com/a...bmarines-to-strengthen-second-stage-deterrent

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Inspects Gorae Class Submarine



North Korean Gorae Class SLBM - artwork

Kim In front of NK Mig-29

Is North Korea’s MiG-29 Fleet Growing? | The Diplomat

License production contracts with Russia and technical assistance deals may be
strengthening North Korea’s air force.

By Abraham Ait
November 29, 2018


North Korea’s armed forces learned during the Korean War the potentially devastating consequences of losing air superiority in a conflict with the United States, and air defense has ever since been a key priority in the country’s military doctrine. The Soviet Union emerged as a key supplier of arms for this purpose, expanding the small Korean War-era fighter fleet throughout the 1950s and granting generous military aid alongside reconstruction assistance. North Korea was the only foreign client for the Soviet S-25 surface-to- air missile system, a high-end platform tasked with the defense of Moscow itself, and Pyongyang would continue to upgrade its air defense network and fighter fleet throughout the Cold War. With the collapse of the USSR in 1991, it was widely believed that North Korea would be unable to acquire modern military hardware for high end aerial warfare, or even parts to maintain and modernize existing systems, giving the United States and its allies an overwhelming advantage in the case of a future
war on the Korean Peninsula. However, an analysis of the developments in the North Korean defense sector since the late 1980s and the potential for continued Russian assistance to its East Asian neighbor, help explain why the country’s ability to wage a war in the skies has remained strong despite all expectations. In the wake of North Korean leader Kim Il Sung’s visit to the Soviet Union in October 1986, Moscow agreed to supply the country with its first MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets — an elite combat platform that had entered service in the Soviet Air Force only the previous year. With the heavier Su-27 Flanker struggling in its early days and being produced in very limited numbers, the MiG-29 was the most capable fully

operational fighter in the USSR at the time. Pyongyang had gone to great lengths to strengthen its defense partnership with the neighboring superpower since 1984. Alongside a boom in trade and considerable Soviet investments in high-end industries in the aftermath of the leader’s visit, the USSR also helped to modernize North Korean aerial warfare capabilities. This included the provision of MiG-23 fighters, Su-25 attack jets, a Tin Shield early warning radar system, and S-200 air defense batteries, among other advanced armaments. While North Korea is thought to have received approximately two dozen MiG-29 jets from the USSR, the country’s Air Force would go on to enlarge its fleet considerably by acquiring a permit and technological assistance from the Soviet Union to manufacture the elite fourth generation jets under license. The permit was given in 1987, and North Korea opened a small production line and manufactured two to three fighters per year. The Fulcrums were manufactured in Kwagsan and Taechun in North Pyongan province in the country’s northwest. By the end of the 1990s 15 fighters had reportedly been manufactured — a modest number compared to the Soviet production lines, which produced dozens of aircraft per year, but
nevertheless a considerable addition to the North Korean fleet. The first of the North Korean-built MiG-29 jets flew on April 15, 1993, and the performance was comparable to those built by the Soviet Union and Russia themselves — more sophisticated than the export variants marketed to clients such as Iraq and Iran. Nevertheless, a number of key components were required from Russia to maintain production. In 1997, North Korea signed a contract with Russian state-run arms dealer Rosvooruzhenye for military cooperation, which included continuing assistance for the manufacture of MiG-29 jets in North Korea. While the country’s Fulcrum fleet is estimated to have numbered around 35 jets at the time, extending indigenous production would see it grow considerably larger. Russia today continues to maintain close defense ties to North Korea particularly in the field of air defense,
having signed a number of military agreements including an agreement in 2015, declared their “Year of Friendship,” specifically facilitating close cooperation in air defense and intelligence. Visits to Moscow by high ranking delegations from the North Korean Air Force remain frequent, and according to U.S. sources Russia has continued to supply its East Asian neighbor with components key to maintaining its fighter fleet. It has repeatedly been pointed out that if the 2006 UN arms embargo against North Korea had been fully enforced, the majority of the North Korean fleet would today be unflyable – indicting that acquisitions of Russian parts has continued. A number of analysts have also speculated that Russia played a role in aiding North Korean in developing its KN-06 long range surface-to-air missile system, which entered mass production in 2017 as an analogue to the S-300 and may well use a number of Russian-made components. A capable North Korean air defense network remains strongly in Russia’s interests to protect the country’s vulnerable Far East in the event of war with the United States, as well as to deter military action on the Korean Peninsula by Washington. With North Korea retaining the facilities needed to produce MiG-29 fighters of its own with a few minor inputs of Russian components, it remains likely that Moscow has continued to supply these inputs to keep production lines active. Without providing the country with a new class of fighter entirely, Russia can quietly assist its neighbor to expand its Fulcrum fleet and thus strengthen its aerial warfare capabilities. With no one entirely sure how many Fulcrums the North Korean
Air Force actually fields, and many of the country’s airbases located underground, it is extremely difficult to prove any violations on Moscow’s part. Key components crossing the border are far easier to disguise than fighter airframes, and can therefore continue to be supplied inconspicuously without providing evidence to the United States to substantiate its accusations that Russia has violated the U.S. drafted UN sanctions regime against North Korea. With Russia having reportedly already provided North Korea with advanced variants of the R-77 and R-27 long range air-to-air missiles, it is also a significant possibility that Moscow has also lent assistance in modernizing the MiG-29 jets in production by providing more advanced components for sensors and
avionics. With North Korea having indicating its willingness to acquire cutting edge Su-35 air superiority fighters, an acquisition which would have cost approximately $1 billion for even a small contingent of just a dozen fighters, Pyongyang is well within its budgetary limits to afford modernization and a continuous manufacture of the MiG-29 — a lighter aircraft that comes at a fraction of the cost of the heavier Su-35. The fact that the country’s armed forces had some hope for a potential acquisition of the Su-35, Russia’s most capable fighter, indicates that a basis of high-level cooperation already exists in the field of aerial warfare.
The continued growth and modernization of the North Korean MiG-29 fleet remains a potent and cost-effective means of keeping the country’s air force viable against the threats posed by its leading potential adversaries. Continued cooperation to facilitate such growth is likely to continue be perceived by both Pyongyang and Moscow as strongly in their interests.

Abraham Ait is a military analyst and expert on Asia-Pacific security. He is the founder of Military Watch Magazine.

https://thediplomat.com/2018/11/is-north-koreas-mig-29-fleet-growing/?

A chinese source asserted that North Korea does have at least 120 Mig-29, and these indigenous NK's Mig-29 are equal as the Mig-29 SMT.
If really North Korea succeeded by replicated their Mig-29 and if they are capable to reproduce and to modernize the RD-33 that is said to be 20% more powerful than the original, then it must be an important game changing. To our friend Galactic Penguin SST if you do have more informations about NK's Mig-29 please post.

 

[sahureka2]

HI Sutton hypothesizes that it is a Romeo class from the type of sonar bulb to the bow and from the stern-tube propellers.
But if we want to remain in the hypothesis of the modification of an already existing submarine, there was also another Soviet model that had intubated propellers, it was the submarine launcher Class Juliet / project some years ago, on the defunct Military Photos forum, I posted a satellite image where in the dry dock located near the naval base west of Namp'o, a submarine was working that had enormous similarities to a Juliet class,
Sources say that the North Koreans had managed to buy several Foxtrot class and the direct derived Golf II class missiles for demolition, but none of these satellite-based models resemble the submarine that was in a dry dock.
This evening I managed to find on the web those images, to which I added the detail of the new NK submarine + the model of a Juliet, if known, in the last image of the new NK submarine, the censors have pixelated aft of the sail .. ... what do they hide, who knows maybe those liftable launchers like in the model of the Juliet?
If this were the case, the description of the strategic assigned to this unit could have different nuances, not the ability to launch nuclear missiles capable of hitting US soil, but that of having a submarine equipped with missiles with conventional or nuclear warheads capable of attacking paying targets such as the aicrafth carriers, not only from the US, but also the Japanese topsides and news from these South Korean days that will be equipped with fixed-wing aircraft.

 

[Galactic Penguin SST]

http://web.archive.org/web/20190724043937/https://i.imgur.com//1LwCaun.jpg ; https://archive.fo/swIhc/1b2ff211073db948ec81b92745f66250ea3ec776.jpg
▲ 1. Image from KCTV video 2019.



Origin Of The Project

July 24,2019

“If you look closely at the photo” of the submarine in the KCNA article, said Moon, “you can see there are dents that appeared to have been caused by water pressure.”

Moon, a former commander of a South Korean Navy submarine squadron, continued, “That’s a trace that normally can’t be found on a newly built submarine, which is why I think [North Korea] got a submarine from Russia and is now trying to build a missile launching tube in it.”

http://web.archive.org/web/20190724...oongangdaily/_data/photo/2019/07/23201858.jpg ; https://archive.fo/FJoXw/3968dbcdb5eaa4737b22face121414485224f57b.jpg
▲ 2. Several dents are apparently seen in the red circle. July 2019

http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com...aid=3065903&cloc=joongangdaily|home|newslist1


Video

youtube.com/watch?v=Eq_SpjILR50 ; http://www.dprktoday.com/index.php?type=22&no=20188
▲ 3. [혁명활동소식] 경애하는 최고령도자 김정은동지께서 새로 건조한 잠수함을 돌아보시였다 [2019-07-23]


North Korean submarines 2019

The name of this new North Korean SSB is unknown, I called it for more clarity Narval Class (일각고래: ILGAKKOLAE).

http://web.archive.org/web/20190724043121/https://i.imgur.com//I6qh6EC.jpg ; https://archive.fo/PwNsE/96d21a69c6136db729b83e776b3d03dbd19fca01.jpg
▲ 3. North Korean submarines 2019. Artistic illustration.