North Korea KN-11 SLBM test April 22nd - US would never see it coming....why no news on this?

N. Korea Submarine Missile Allows Covert Nuclear Strike on US

In a worrying step showing North Korea's rapidly expanding nuclear strike capabilities, the Communist regime recently held a test of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), the first time it has launched a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead from underwater.

According to US defense officials cited by the Washington Free Beacon on Tuesday, the test took place on April 22 from an underwater test platform near the coastal city of Sinpo in the southeast of the country, and tested what the US is calling a KN-11 missile.

The test appears to have been successful, and is the third KN-11 test showing the high-priority of the nuclear missile program for North Korea. Previous tests in January and last October were from a sea-based platform not underwater and a land-based platform.

The KN-11 joins the KN-08 mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as being part of a varied North Korean missile arsenal on platforms that would be hard for the US to detect, and consequently allow a strike that would be difficult to shoot down.

Admiral Bill Gortney, Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and US Northern Command, admitted last month that North Korea could hit the continental US with a nuclear strike. That admission accompanied the announcement that NORAD is reopening its nuclear-EMP-proof Cheyenne Mountain bunker, apparently amid renewed concerns of an EMP attack by which a nuclear weapon would be detonated over the US, knocking out all of its electronic devices, and thereby rendering it defenseless to secondary nuclear strikes.

So....apparently NK has a sub capable of launching a covert nuclear attack on the US, yet all we hear about is ICBM's and how we can defend? I would think that a sub capable of this, with a successful test already completed, would be a much bigger headline than what has been going around with the ICBM's and NK's ability to possibly hit the west coast.

Odd that this hasn't popped on more sites. I wonder just how capable they are. Anyone know more on this story?

I find it very interesting that officials are stating that it would give the ability for them to hit the US undetected with both the KN-11 AND the KN-08 (Mobile ICBM).

Former US Defense Intelligence Agency official Bruce Bechtol, Jr. told the paper that North Korea's SLBM program is meant to give it the ability to strike the US, and to not have the strike be detected in advance.

"With an SLBM they get both," said Bechtol. "The submarine can get the platform to launch the missile within range of the continental United States, Alaska, or Hawaii. Thus, once operational, this immediately brings key nodes in the United States within range of what would likely be a nuclear armed missile."

He noted that once the KN-11 and mobile KN-08 "systems go operational, it potentially gives North Korea a dual threat for attacking the United States with nuclear or chemical weapons - a threat generated from difficult to detect mobile platforms on both land and sea."

WOW, now this shows a huge leap in technology to launch a missle from a sub. I really didnt think North Korea had Subs, but it makes sense, if Drug dealers from columbia can buy subs.

I see those stiff sanctions are working well. Just as they have on Iran.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

What would be the point of a surprise attack by NK on the USA?

I mean...really, what would be the point?

Even if, and i do really mean if NK could launch dozens of nukes simultaneously and take out US command structure, US subs roaming all over the planet would kill NK.

Even if, all command went out of the window, and if by some inexplicable bizarre reason the USA could not muster retaliation, the USA has plenty of allies who are well armed enough to kill NK for them.

So what's the point?

Are we talking 'Hit NK and we can hit you back...MAD iow, or are we talking irrational nutters who don't care if they get killed for killing the US?

I would ask if NK would really launch an attack on the US knowing that it would lead to their demise and possibly WWIII. I think they would have no problem striking the US and are probably not worried about WWIII. It's the threat of the entire country being wiped out that's the only reason they wouldn't attempt a strike. Just my opinion.

originally posted by: Glassbender777
WOW, now this shows a huge leap in technology to launch a missle from a sub. I really didnt think North Korea had Subs, but it makes sense, if Drug dealers from columbia can buy subs.

Yeah....I was pretty shocked to find this and not have seen it in MSM. It was tested on the 22nd of last month too....apparently successfully.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

An SLBM is an ICBM. With their subs though they would have a hard time getting close to the US mainland to launch a strike. They don't have the training, and a Golf class isn't a particularly stealthy boat anymore.

It's a huge leap for them, don't get me wrong, but it's not up to the level of we're all gonna die.

a reply to: Glassbender777

This happened a couple years back. This was during a fleet exercise. NK managed to sink a SK ship killing 46 SK sailors.

www.bbc.com...

So yes north Korea has had subs for a while.

originally posted by: MysterX
a reply to: Vasa Croe

What would be the point of a surprise attack by NK on the USA?

I mean...really, what would be the point?

Even if, and i do really mean if NK could launch dozens of nukes simultaneously and take out US command structure, US subs roaming all over the planet would kill NK.

Even if, all command went out of the window, and if by some inexplicable bizarre reason the USA could not muster retaliation, the USA has plenty of allies who are well armed enough to kill NK for them.

So what's the point?

Are we talking 'Hit NK and we can hit you back...MAD iow, or are we talking irrational nutters who don't care if they get killed for killing the US?

Well....I think it has been sufficiently shown that NK does not necessarily need a point or reason to attack. They spew plenty of propaganda about it. I would guess they would not be targeting this as a direct strike, but more of an EMP strike to knock out communications capability prior to an allied strike from them of some sort. Though it could be a direct threat to knock out Washington since their land based systems could only hit the west coast.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Vasa Croe

An SLBM is an ICBM. With their subs though they would have a hard time getting close to the US mainland to launch a strike. They don't have the training, and a Golf class isn't a particularly stealthy boat anymore.

It's a huge leap for them, don't get me wrong, but it's not up to the level of we're all gonna die.

Gotcha, and yeah, I wouldn't think we are all going to die from a single nuclear attack, but I would think it possible that they could get close enough to launch on a strategic location in the US without being noticed until launch, though I am no expert on these matters by any stretch of the imagination...

a reply to: Zaphod58

LoL... no they are not stealthy. But they just need to get close enough to one of our bases.
Or do like the movie "Down Periscope" and disguise it like a fishing trawler...

That would still be dreaming on NK's part...

a reply to: Vasa Croe

Cheers.

It's a mad world.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Vasa Croe

With their subs though they would have a hard time getting close to the US mainland to launch a strike.

Nothing personal but they can't even stop row boats/rafts/small motor boats etc from Cuba let alone a sub. They can't keep eyes on a sub 24/7 365 or any ship for that matter.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

That's why we have SOSUS. It was able to track and pinpoint the K-129 when the Golf II was one of the premier subs in the water.

originally posted by: Glassbender777
WOW, now this shows a huge leap in technology to launch a missle from a sub. I really didnt think North Korea had Subs, but it makes sense, if Drug dealers from columbia can buy subs.

Probably because you were too busy cracking hard man jokes about their military and capabilities.

a reply to: rockpaperhammock

That's what SOSUS is for. And stopping a raft is a completely different animal. A rubber raft has little to no acoustic signature, no magnetic field, and no reflective surfaces for sound or radar on the surface.

Rumor has it that North Korea is building a new missile submarine. The Sinpo 67 , specifications haven't come out yet. But I imagine it resembles the Golf class. Another diesel electric sub with a 10,000 mile range. That would need to snorkel quite a few times to reach the US West Coast. Diesel subs are hard to track on battery power, but pretty easy when they snorkel.


Now while North Korea may have 20 bombs that is a far cry from the miniaturization required to mount them in a reentry vehicle. I seriously doubt they have a achieved that goal yet.

originally posted by: Greathouse
Rumor has it that North Korea is building a new missile submarine. The Sinpo 67 , specifications haven't come out yet. But I imagine it resembles the Golf class. Another diesel electric sub with a 10,000 mile range. That would need to snorkel quite a few times to reach do US West Coast. Diesel subs are hard to track on battery power, but pretty easy when they snorkel.


Now while North Korea may have 20 bombs that is a far cry from the miniaturization required to mount them in a reentry vehicle. I seriously doubt they have a achieved that goal yet.

Doesn't matter how many they have, one is all it takes.

Also the fact that they have them is deterrent from invading forces enough, why do you think nobody has invaded them yet?

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Vasa Croe

That's why we have SOSUS. It was able to track and pinpoint the K-129 when the Golf II was one of the premier subs in the water.

So how close would they have to be to launch, and could they feasibly get that close? I understand the US has very advanced counter measures to spot them, but the possibility is there right? Nothing is infallible. I wouldn't think they would be testing these if they were not also working towards or already have the ability to evade what they think is the latest tracking system right?

a reply to: Zaphod58

So....the NK's could float their missle over on a rubber raft prior to shooting it off!

We're doomed! Doomed I say....death by a rubber raft!