North Korea Defence Forum

[yugocrosrb95]

March 14th 2023 launch of two KN-23 that are 9K720 Iskander class short range aero ballistic missiles.

 

[yugocrosrb95]

Hwasong-17 ICBM launch on March 15th 2023 with flight time of 1 hour and 10 minutes.​

 

[Abid123]

View attachment 920637
View attachment 920638
View attachment 920639
Hwasong-17 ICBM launch on March 15th 2023 with flight time of 1 hour and 10 minutes.​

Is it MIRV? Also what its nuclear payload?

 

[White and Green with M/S]

Is it MIRV? Also what its nuclear payload?

No its not MIRVED, and no one knows its real payload capacity

 

[yugocrosrb95]

No its not MIRVED, and no one knows its real payload capacity

There are estimates and it's large enough and can carry a lot for it to have MIRV payload.

 

[yugocrosrb95]

KN-23 launched from experimental underground silo right next to Sohae satellite launch ground/station.
800 kilometer range with apogee of 50 kilometers and cold test of nuclear warhead design at 800 meters.​

 

[sahureka2]

North Korea said it conducted a new underwater weapons test on Tuesday: An "underwater nuclear attack drone" sailed for 59 hours at a depth of between 80 and 150 meters in the Sea of Japan, and exploded underwater upon reaching an area set as an enemy mock port.
here the DPRK press release with some photos from which it is difficult to draw conclusions except that it should have a diameter suitable for use by the torpedo tube of North Korean submarines and therefore 533 mm
https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/167...-and-firing-drill-for-strategic-aim-conducted

But not only this was tested, Hwasal-1/Hwasal-2 cruise missiles were also launched in the exercises
Video

And photo

 

[sahureka2]

the two Hwasal-1/Hwasal-2 cruise missiles in comparison

 

[yugocrosrb95]

Is there any analysis on Hwasal-1 and Hwasal-2 that contains estimate of length and diameter?

 

[The SC]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1639774320439205889

 

[yugocrosrb95]

North Korea unveiled standardized tactical nuclear implosion warhead, by some estimates 400 to 500mm diameter.

 

[sahureka2]

View attachment 922544
North Korea unveiled standardized tactical nuclear implosion warhead, by some estimates 400 to 500mm diameter.
View attachment 922545​

Regarding the inspection
https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/168...unting-nuclear-warheads-on-ballistic-missiles
They write :
<<Kim Jong Un inquired in detail about the means of applying nuclear weapons, the technical specifications and characteristics of the structural operation of the new tactical nuclear weapons according to the purpose of operation and objectives, the interchangeability with different systems of 'weapon and others. >>

Then they attach photos of the inspection of the means of applying nuclear weapons

Also present is the Cruise Hwasal-2 tested in recent days, a presence in this location which suggests that it may also be armed with a nuclear warhead.

 

[yugocrosrb95]

Regarding the inspection
https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/168...unting-nuclear-warheads-on-ballistic-missiles
They write :
<<Kim Jong Un inquired in detail about the means of applying nuclear weapons, the technical specifications and characteristics of the structural operation of the new tactical nuclear weapons according to the purpose of operation and objectives, the interchangeability with different systems of 'weapon and others. >>

Then they attach photos of the inspection of the means of applying nuclear weapons

Also present is the Cruise Hwasal-2 tested in recent days, a presence in this location which suggests that it may also be armed with a nuclear warhead.

It is a standardized nuclear warhead with missiles having standardized attachment for it.
Estimates of warhead is 40cm by 90cm to 50cm by 100cm so probably not simple implosion type.
Could be thermonuclear warhead with similar size to one that were used by America for BGM-109.

 

[sahureka2]

here the web address for the magazine of the month of April 2023
https://kcnawatch.org/periodical/dpr-korea-2023-0401/

interesting this page concerning the launch of 2 cruise missiles from submarines

 

[yugocrosrb95]

Haeil-2 UUV
71 hour endurance
1000 kilometer range​