American double standards and aggression

North Korea confirms submarine launch of new ballistic missile

North Korea test-fired a new, smaller ballistic missile from a submarine, state media confirmed on Wednesday, a move that analysts said could be aimed at more quickly fielding an operational missile submarine.

The statement from state media came a day after South Korea's military reported that it believed North Korea had fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its east coast, the latest in a string of North Korean missile tests.

The White House urged North Korea to refrain from further "provocations", with spokesperson Jen Psaki saying on Tuesday the United States remained open to engaging diplomatically with North Korea over its weapons programmes.

Pyongyang so far has rejected those overtures, accusing the United States and South Korea of talking diplomacy while ratcheting up tensions with their own military activities.

The "new-type" SLBM was launched from the same submarine involved in a 2016 test of an older SLBM, North Korea's state news agency KCNA said.

North Korea has a large fleet of ageing submarines, but has yet to deploy operational ballistic missile submarines beyond the experimental Gorae-class boat used in the tests.

Photos released by KCNA appeared to show a thinner, smaller missile than North Korea's earlier SLBM designs, and maybe a previously unseen model first showcased at a defence exhibition in Pyongyang last week.

A smaller SLBM could mean more missiles stored on a single submarine, although with a shorter range, potentially putting nuclear-armed North Korea closer to fielding an operational ballistic missile submarine (SSB).

"Though a smaller North Korea SLBM design could enable more missiles per boat, it could also enable smaller less challenging SSB designs, including easier integration/conversion on pre-existing submarines," Joseph Dempsey, a defence researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said on Twitter.



Still, the development was expected to have only a limited impact on Pyongyang's arsenal until it made more progress on a larger submarine that has been seen under construction.

"It just means they're trying to diversify their submarine launch options," said Dave Schmerler, a senior research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in California.

"It's an interesting development but with only one submarine in the water that can launch notionally one or two of these it doesn't change much."

The new type SLBM featured advanced control guidance technologies, including "flank mobility and gliding skip mobility," KCNA said.

*********

kt notes: 

The White House urged North Korea to refrain from further "provocations".

Provoke who?

*********

Earlier this month:

ARMS CONTROL TODAY

South Korea Tests Submarine-Launched Missile

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said his country's Sept. 15 test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile was not aimed at North Korea, but "can be a clear deterrent to North Korea’s provocations." (Photo by South Korea's Ministry of National Defense)

October 2021

By Kelsey Davenport

South Korea launched a ballistic missile from a submarine in September, making it the first country without nuclear weapons to develop that capability.

The Defense Ministry in Seoul described the launch as a success and said the missile “accurately hit its target.” The submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) capability is “an important milestone” that will “contribute to realizing a strong national defense and a solid military readiness posture,” according to a Sept. 15 statement.

The SLBM test took place several hours after North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles from a train and four days after it tested a new land-attack cruise missile.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who was present for the launch, said on Sept. 15 that the test was “not a response to North Korea’s provocations.” But he noted that “the reinforcement of our missile capabilities can be a clear deterrent to North Korea’s provocations.”

The missile was tested from South Korea’s domestically built attack submarine, the Dosan An Chang-ho, which was commissioned in August. (See ACT, September 2021.) It is the first of three submarines capable of carrying six ballistic missiles that South Korea plans to deploy. South Korean news outlets reported that the submarine successfully fired an SLBM on Sept. 7, but the South Korean government has only confirmed the Sept. 15 launch. Prior to the submarine launches, South Korea conducted test launches from a submerged barge and from a ground-based test facility. The Defense Ministry said it will conduct further tests before an SLBM is deployed on the Dosan An Chang-ho.

States generally pursue SLBMs in order to provide a survivable, second-strike nuclear capability. Given that South Korea is an ally of the United States and covered by its extended nuclear deterrent, including U.S. SLBMs, it is unclear why South Korea views this capability as necessary and worth the risk of continuing to drive the missile race between North and South Korea.

Defense Department spokesman James Kirby said in a Sept. 20 press briefing that the United States is working closely with South Korea to ensure “complementary military capabilities” that are “commensurate with the continued threats that we see on the peninsula.”

*********

kt notes:

For double standards USA, her language changed once the 38th degrees parallel North has been crossed. From North Korea 'being provocative', to South Korea 'working closely with the USA to ensure “complementary military capabilities”' the American hypocrisy is nauseating but expected.

And the reason why North Korea has been exhibiting seemingly rather irrational decisions in its military doctrine where arms rather than food have been preferred has actually been its fear of the likelihood of American nuclear attacks. 

American attacks on North Korea are not so fanciful when one considers the USA has on more than one occasion mulled nuking the Koreans, once (in 2017) even calculating she might need 80 nuclear bombs to defeat North Korea.

In Bob Woodward’s book Rage, the author detailed President Trump’s war plans with a particular quote in his the book:

"The Strategic Command in Omaha had carefully reviewed and studied OPLAN 5027 for regime change in North Korea — the U.S. response to an attack that could include the use of 80 nuclear weapons

Note that American invasive interfering insidious phrase again - 'for regime change'.


Number of nuclear warheads worldwide as of January 2021

Nuclear powers   Number of nuclear warheads
Russia                   6255

USA                      5,550
China                    350
France                   290
United Kingdom      225
Pakistan                 165

India                     156

Israel                      90 

North Korea             40