The movement of the Sinpo Shipyard in South Hamgyeong Province, which is a key facility for the development of North Korean submarine launch ballistic missiles (SLBM), is inconvenient. On the 6th (local time), North Korean research institutes in the United States captured the movement of a barge that was used to test the SLBM one after another. It has been four days since the heads of the South Korean, US, and Japanese security offices gathered in the United States on the 2nd to express concern over North Korea’s nuclear and missile test launches.
US CSIS·38 North, satellite image analysis
“There are no missile launchers on the barge
It could be the repair of the launch pad, the installation of new equipment.”
‘Beyond Parallel’, a website specializing in North Korea of the US Institute for Strategic International Studies (CSIS), and ’38 North’, a media specialized in North Korea, analyzed satellite images on the 6th (Korean time), and the barge at the Sinpo Shipyard left the berth and assembled. It said it was berthing on a floating drydock adjacent to the east. The barge has been used for test firing of North Korea’s SLBM, North Korea’s North Korean missile.
Based on the fact that the missile launcher (canister) was not loaded, he explained that the movement of the barge was not a sign that the SLBM test launch was imminent. At the same time, they pointed out the possibility of moving to prepare for the future SLBM test launch, repairing and repairing the missile launcher on the barge, and installing new equipment.
The media assessed that “the Joe Biden and Moon Jae-in administrations will face important challenges because of the implied threat of resuming this barge movement and SLBM test launch.”
’38 North’ analyzed that the barge used in the past SLBM Polaris 1 type test launch was not observed outside except during the test launch. However, at this point, the reason for the barge movement was unclear. The media explained, “It may be to provide space in the tank for the new SLBM submarine currently being built, or to repair the barge.”
Previously, 38 North evaluated that it was unusual for the floating dry dog to move next to the submarine launch facility at the Sinpo Shipyard on the 24th of last month. At the time, 38 North analyzed that “it could be a preparation for launching a new SLBM submarine in the near future.”
North Korean nuclear and missile expert Jeffrey Lewis, director of the Nonproliferation Research Center at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies in the United States, told the news about the movement of a barge from the Arms Control Wonk, putting weight on the possibility of checking for new equipment upgrades.
Reporter Lee Cheol-jae [email protected]
