(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — North Korea has deployed 250 mobile ballistic missile launchers, “Hwasong-11D”, to the border with South Korea in what is seen as an escalation of provocations against its neighboring country, which is backed by the United States.
Each launcher carries four missiles, indicating that the total of 250 launchers brings approximately 1,000 missiles close to the South Korean border.
Photos released by North Korea’s newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, show rows of neatly arranged ballistic missile launchers.
In a speech at the missile launch handing over ceremony, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un stated that the country is capable of executing operational initiatives with the ability to strike and target enemy positions on every battlefield.
“North Korea will send a clear message that if the United States continues to ignore our repeated warnings and persists in undermining security in the region, it will face the consequences,” said the North Korean leader.
Kim Jong-Un personally oversaw the handover of military equipment to military commanders and claimed in his speech that the missile system was developed using the country’s own technology, according to state media.
The deployment of the ballistic missile launcher system so close to the border indicates that the missiles do not have a long range, according to South Korean Armed Forces.
Regional military observers noted that the ballistic missile system deployed by North Korea near the South Korean border is likely the Hwasong-11D, which was first launched only two years ago.
Observers stated that the short-range ballistic missile “Hwasong-11D” is capable of striking targets at a distance of 180-220km, but its range can be increased with modifications, especially if the amount of warhead is reduced.
South Korean authorities indicated that these short-range ballistic missiles are likely intended to target South Korean military bases located in the northern part of the country near the border.
The short-range ballistic missile Hwasong-11 can also be equipped with a nuclear warhead.
North Korea conducted tests of the “Hwasong-11D” ballistic missile last May and March from a testing site in the eastern part of the country. — DSA