Experts Worry N.Korea May Hide Missiles in Cargo Ships(modeled after Soviet R-27)

Chosun Ilbo ^ | 02/08/07

[TigerLikesRooster]

Experts Worry N.Korea May Hide Missiles in Cargo Ships

A recent report by the U.S. Congress’ research unit Congressional Research Service (CRS) has raised questions about North Korea's ability to transform cargo ships into missile launch pads. The CRS report said that North Korea has developed a submarine- or ship-mounted ballistic missile system with a range of at least 2,500 kilometers. The North has also transformed ordinary cargo ships to launch the missiles, the report said.

South Korean military authorities and experts said Wednesday that while the deployment of a submarine-carried missile is unlikely, but it would be possible for Pyongyang to use a cargo ship as a launch pad. North Korea’s new ballistic missiles with a range of 2,500km to 4,000km are based on the decommissioned Soviet R-27 sub-launched missile. The existence of the North Korean ballistic missiles was brought to light by the Chosun Ilbo in Sept. 2003.

An intelligence source said that ballistic missiles must be launched vertically from a submarine and that North Korea’s main 1,475-ton Romeo-level submarine is too small to launch the new 12-meter missile. It has not been confirmed if North Korea has developed a new, larger submarine to launch the missile, the source said.

Missiles can be carried in a launch pad that looks like an ordinary container and be fired by simply raising the container upright, experts say. A cargo ship would be excellent way to conceal a missile as the enemy would likely ignore it as a simple commercial vessel. Intelligence authorities note that the new North Korean 12-meter ballistic missiles would fit inside a standard container. The CRS report also said that using a commercial cargo ship would be the easiest way for North Korea to carry missiles.

(englishnews@chosun.com )

[TigerLikesRooster]

Thanks for spelling out the obvious.

Now is State Dept. going to buy them up from N. Korea?

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[Calpernia]

ping

[Cindy]

Thanks for the ping Calpernia.
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1777773/posts?page=418#418

[DCBryan1]

MI Threat equipment ping!

[ThirdMate]

The article is plausible, but the illustration is far-fetched.

Containers are always stowed in the fore and aft position, with the container doors facing aft. The illustration shows the containers stowed athwartship.

Also, a twelve meter missile in a standard forty foot container is a very tight squeeze.

What the article did not make explicit is that a commercial vessel, even with a North Korean flag, can loiter close off shore without arousing suspicion.

We need to bring back the "Q" ships!

[darth]

Sink 'em all.

[SevenofNine]

OH LORDY this too funny ROFL LMAO that so Cold War era CHIA PET ROFL

[AmericanInTokyo]

I wish RONALD REAGAN, a REAL President, able to STAND UP TO THESE GUYS--and stop this Six Party Talks Crap--were alive and President again.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #9

Me, too.:-(

Nice seeing you again here, by the way.