Drop your panties, Sir Larry; I cannot wait ‘til lunchtime.
Posted on 04/03/2011 9:44:38 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
N. Korean hovercrafts can launch surprise attacks on South
North Korea has been constructing a new base for hovercrafts, which are capable of carrying out raids at high speeds, near the western sea border, a report said Saturday.
They would pose a serious threat to the South as they could launch surprise attacks on five islands near the West Sea border, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported, quoting military sources.
Hovercrafts travel four or five times faster than other landing vessels. It would be easy for the aircushioned vehicles to carry out raids on the South’s west coast as they can travel on mud flat at high speeds as well.
North Korea has about 260 landing vessels, but hovercrafts play a key role in carrying out raids, infiltration and landing, experts say.
The communist North has so far built some 130 “Gongband-class” hovercrafts and deployed them to the western and eastern coasts, the report said. A Gongbang-class hovercraft can carry 30 to 50 soldiers and travel at speeds of 70-90 kilometers per hour.
Previously, North Korea’s main hovercrafts base was located more than 300 kilometers from five South Korean islands near the western sea border, including Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong Islands, it said.
However, the North has built the new base to house 70 hovercrafts only 50-60 kilometers from the islands. As a result, it would take only 30-40 minutes for the North to launch surprise attacks on the South Korean islands instead of previous four hours, according to the report.
The hovercrafts can land on the islands before South Korean jet fighters or military helicopters can reach them, the newspaper said.
The South Korean military plans to deploy some 500MD helicopters to Baengnyeong Island to deter possible North Korean raids as it would be too late for the aircraft to reach the islands after taking off from an inland base, it said.
500MDs, which were introduced after the 1970s, are equipped with machine guns and rockets. The military will also install 70mm guided-rockets, which are being jointly developed by South Korea and the United States, to helicopters or KA-1s, the report said.
jckim@koreatimes.co.kr
They’re full of eels.
by definition there cnnot be a guided rocket. if a rocket is guided it is a missle.
ROTLMAO!!!!
Drop your panties, Sir Larry; I cannot wait ‘til lunchtime.
No doubt someone smarter than me has already thought about this... but I’ve actually ridden a hovercraft, and it looked to me like there was nothing more than air-inflated rubber supports around the edge of the thing. Wouldn’t it be easy just to collapse those rubber supports and sink those things with one or two bullets? I would think a racing-style hull would be much better for quick raids, and more durable, too. That hovercraft I was in looked mighty heavy and loud - the fans were amazingly big. That doesn’t sound like stealth equipment to me.
If anyone out there knows more, please fill me in. It does not surprise me that the North Koreans are blowing smoke, either at us or into their lungs.
Since there’s no food in NK the hovercrafts have no crew galley but are equipped with vending machines for twigs and
leaves.
Sounds like they got their ideas from Die Another Day...
I was going to say that I thought that James Bond had taken all of them out of commission. :)
I would assume the South will have these bases under constant monitoring/surveillance. 30-40 minutes should be enough time to scramble a few Warthogs and turn them loose at low altitude.
Dean Martin is not amused.
I was under the impression that the plural of “hovercraft” is “hovercraft”.
Gongbang hovercraft? “Get it on, bang a gong, get it on” - T. Rex
“North Korea has been constructing a new base for hovercrafts, which are capable of carrying out raids at high speeds, near the western sea border, a report said Saturday.”
Now if they can just scrape together the funds to buy gas they will be a real threat.
The only way to perform surprise with a hovercraft is on DEAF PEOPLE..
You can hear them coming from a long way off..
Not many machines have been made that make as much noise as a hovercraft..
The only more noisy that a hovercraft is TWO HOvercrAFTS...
70 of them would wake General MacArthur.. jeese..
Hovercraften. No, wait, hovercrafti. Yeah, that’s it.
The only more noisy that a hovercraft is TWO HOvercrAFTS...
Maybe they plan on using one of these as a distraction.
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