Posted on 03/30/2010 4:00:36 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
/begin my excerpts
N. Korean Mini-sub(s) on the Move around the Time of Ship Sinking
Ryu Yong-won, military affairs correspondent
2010.03.31 02:4
S. Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities, "Disappeared from their base and came back a few days later"
Speculation is abound on what sunk the Navy Ship 'Cheonan,' including the possibility of torpedo and mine attack by N. Korean mini-submarine(s) or half-submersible mini-vessel(s,) it has been confirmed that their mini-sub(s) (or half-submersible mini-vessel(s)) disappeared around Mar. 26, the day of (Cheonan's)sinking, from N. Korea's Yellow Sea submarine base which is located not far from Baek-ryong Island, (the island right next to) the site of incident.
Government sources said on Mar. 30, "We have learned that the analysis of photos from U.S. recon satellites right after Cheonan's sinking showed that mini-sub(s) (or half-submersible mini-vessel(s)) disappeared from (NK's) Sagot naval base, which is 50 km away from Baek-ryong Island, for a few days spanning before and after the incident, and returned to their base." It has not been ascertained how many of them and what kind of model were involved.
The sources added, "Those N. Korean vessels move in and out of their base from time to time, and it may be difficult to ascertain if they are implicated in the incident." Yugo class mini-sub weighs 85 ton and armed with two 406mm torpedoes. They are capable of operating in shallow water, about 30m deep.
Half-submersible mini-vessels are smaller, difficult to be detected by radars even while moving on the surface, and can fire two torpedoes, the sources said, thereby not denying the possibility of attack by half-submersibles.
/end my excerpts
P!
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/03/30/2010033000884.html
N.Korea ‘Runs Naval Suicide Squads’
Former North Korean soldiers who defected to South Korea on Monday claimed “underwater suicide squads” may have been responsible for the mysterious sinking of a South Korean naval vessel on Friday.
They are similar to the underwater demolition teams operated by the South Korean Navy, the defectors claimed. Recruited from the cream among North Korea's naval commandos, members of the teams are treated well but undergo brutal training.
According to one high-ranking North Korean defector, the North formed suicide attack squads in each branch of the military after the country's leader Kim Jong-il said during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 that no military in the world can defeat an army that can carry out suicide bombings.
The suicide attack squads are known as the “invincibles” in the Air Force, “bombs” in the Army and “human torpedoes” in the Navy. North Korea is said to place special emphasis on the naval squads. It operates a brigade of suicide attack squads in its East Sea and West Sea fleets and they are considered key to overcoming North Korea's inferior conventional military power.
One former North Korean sailor who defected to South Korea said the suicide squads have many semi-submersible vessels that can carry two bombers and either two torpedoes or two floating mines. In areas like the West Sea where the underwater current is fast, the suicide bombers train with mines rather than torpedoes.
One defector who served in North Korea's intelligence service, said, “Following the first naval battle in 1999, North Korea realized that it cannot defeat the South Korean Navy by conventional means and began studying unconventional methods.” The best method is said to be the use of “acoustic mines” carried by small, semi-submersibles that travel at speeds of less than 2 km/h. The craft could be detected by South Korean sonar if they travel any faster. If the underwater squads returned after placing the mines on the hull of a ship, it would be very difficult to find evidence of the attack.
Good post.
We’ll see if they try 2 $weep all this under the table.
*ping*
Or deposit mines?
Yugo class mini-subs:
“that travel at speeds of less than 2 km/h”-
My old Yugo did about as well on land.;D
“The South Koreans likely will not go to war over this, or they would have done until now.”
It is possible that the South Korean ship blew up due to a magazine accident, but I suspect North Korean involvement. We will know if this is the case soon, because they will follow up with other incidents until they get their war.
A beer summit will straighten this out.
I have feeling about this might be mini submarine
good find . . . and makes some sense
not too many types of explosions that are going to cause a keel break . . . torp or seabed mine are on the short list
Thanks hennie pennie.
Is Chia Pet going through Ryongchan on his way to China yet??? ;-)
I recall seeing a video of a Mark 46 detonating directly under a target vessel. Broke it in half.
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