North Korean KN-23 OTRK in the Russian army: rumors, doubts and evidence
Missile system KN-23 / "Hwasong-11Ga". Photo by KCNA
Several months ago, the first reports appeared in the foreign press about possible deliveries of North Korean operational-tactical missile systems to the Russian army. Later, information was published about the beginning of the combat use of such weapons in the zone of the Special Operation to Protect Donbass, and even some evidence of this was provided. However, official information on this topic has not yet been announced, and the real state of affairs remains unknown.
From unnamed sources
In September 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited Russia. During the official visit, negotiations were held on the continuation and development of international cooperation in various fields. However, all the details of the visit and the events held were not disclosed.
Following the arrival of Kim Jong-un, various assessments, forecasts and rumors appeared in the Western press. In particular, a version arose about holding negotiations on possible Russian purchases of North Korean weapons of various classes and types. It was understood that the Russian army, during the Special Operation, had depleted its warehouse stocks and was now forced to look for the products it needed wherever it could, including. ask them from “unreliable countries.” Such theses do not correspond to the real state of affairs, but they fit well into the concepts and news agenda of the “civilized world”.
Allegedly fragments of a North Korean missile used against a target in Kharkov. Photo Telegram / "Military informant"
In November, new “details” appeared. Citing their unnamed sources, foreign media reported that Russia and the DPRK agreed on the supply of various ammunition and operational-tactical missile systems. Allegedly, the North Korean side agreed to sell a certain number of KN-23 and KN-24 systems. In the near future, these products were supposed to arrive in Russia, and then they were expected to appear in the Special Operation zone.
For obvious reasons, such news did not receive official comment. Russian and Korean official structures simply ignored the latest speculation from abroad. In addition, reasonable doubts arose about the very need to purchase foreign OTRK for the Russian army. The fact is that our armed forces and industry are focused on covering all their needs independently and do not purchase missile weapons abroad.
According to new data
In early January 2024, the first reports appeared abroad about the start of combat use of imported missiles by the Russian army. This kind of information was announced by officials of Ukraine and the United States. It was alleged that at the end of December Russia used the KN-23 complex on a target in the Zaporozhye direction. The next strike of this kind took place on January 2 at a facility in Kharkov. According to American intelligence, during these attacks the missiles flew at a range of up to 460 km.
The bottom of the body of a fallen rocket. The frames mark the casings of the gas-dynamic steering wheels. Photo Telegram / "Military informant"
Soon the first “evidence” of the use of North Korean weapons appeared. Ukrainian sources published a photograph of a damaged part, allegedly left over from a fallen rocket. It was alleged that this was an element of the tail section of the KN-23 product - the annular bottom of the hull with casings for the drives of gas-dynamic rudders. The damaged part was compared with available photographs of the Russian Iskander missile and the Korean KN-23, and similarities were found with the latter.
According to foreign reports, the use of Korean OTRK continues. KN-23 missiles regularly fly into certain objects. At the same time, the Ukrainian side is trying to downplay the results of their use. Thus, a photograph of a certain explosion crater with fallen trees around was recently circulated. It was claimed that this was the result of a North Korean missile falling off target - hinting at the low accuracy and effectiveness of such weapons.
The topic of foreign missiles in the Russian army continues to attract attention, and new structures are joining its development. Thus, on February 20, the British research center Conflict Armament Research published the results of its study of a rocket that fell in Kharkov on January 2. The purpose of the study was to determine the technical and other features of the Korean OTRK.
Possible flight route of the rocket on January 2 according to CAR
It is alleged that the KN-23 missile is being built with extensive use of foreign components. 290 imported components from 26 manufacturers were found in the wreckage. Interestingly, about three-quarters of these companies are American; others are from Europe and Asia. Specific manufacturers are not named due to the sensitivity of the topic. At the same time, CAR is trying to determine how their products were able to get into the DPRK.
According to the CAR report, imported parts are used in the missile control system. The main part of them is involved in navigation devices - the most complex and critical part of the entire system. Based on the markings on the components, it is assumed that the missile was manufactured no earlier than March 2023. In this regard, the possibility of special production of KN-23 products to Russian order cannot be ruled out.
Thus, if the information from CAR is true, an extremely interesting situation is observed. Despite all the measures of foreign states, sanctions, etc., the DPRK still found ways to obtain imported dual-use products in the form of electronic components. They are used to build important instruments for modern missile weapons, and the industry appears to have confidence in the reliability of supply as well as their ability to achieve mass production.
KN-23 on parade in Pyongyang. Photo by KCNA
Missile potential
Thus, foreign sources claim that the Russian army has received and is already using North Korean-made operational-tactical missile systems. Some evidence and other information about such cooperation is provided. In turn, Russia and the DPRK do not confirm or deny this information, and also do not report the use of imported OTRK, if it occurs.
Regardless of the actual state of affairs, the North Korean KN-23 (foreign designation) or Hwasong-11Ga (official name) missile could be useful in solving the problems of demilitarizing Ukraine. According to known data, the OTRK with such ammunition has fairly high characteristics and is capable of effectively hitting a wide range of targets - troops in concentration areas, headquarters, artillery and missile systems, etc.
Railway complex based on the Hwasong-11 rocket. Photo by KCNA
From the point of view of general architecture and evaluation characteristics, the Hwasong-11Ga OTRK is similar to the Russian Iskander complex. Due to the technical and external similarity of the missiles abroad, they came up with the nickname “Kimskander”. The basic version of the Korean OTRK is built on a car chassis and carries two missiles. A railway version has also been developed based on a special launch car. The ammunition load of such a carriage also includes two missiles.
The KN-23 rocket has a total length of no more than 9-10 m with a diameter of 1,1 m. The launch mass is estimated at 3,4-3,5 tons. A single-stage scheme with a solid propellant engine is used, due to which it accelerates to design speeds and exits to a given trajectory. In the past, it was assumed that the range of the Hwasong-11Ga did not exceed 280-300 km. According to recent estimates, this parameter can reach 900 km. How exactly it was possible to obtain such flight data with limited size and weight is unclear. Perhaps there is some confusion, and someone else's characteristics were attributed to the KN-23 missile.
The rocket's payload reaches 500 kg. It is assumed that it will be possible to install a high-explosive fragmentation or special warhead. Guidance is carried out using a standard combination of inertial and satellite navigation devices for OTRK. To control the active part of the trajectory, gas-dynamic rudders are used, located at the engine nozzle.
Launching a rocket from a BZHRK. Photo by KCNA
The DPRK has repeatedly conducted test and training launches of Hwasong-11Ga missiles and generally showed good results. It is reported that the calculated characteristics have been fully confirmed and the desired capabilities have been achieved. In general, there is reason to consider this OTRK a good representative of its class, capable of effectively solving expected combat missions.
Necessity and feasibility
The experience of the current Special Operation conducted by the Russian army shows that operational-tactical missiles remain an important and useful tool for hitting a variety of enemy targets. Currently, our missile forces have only one system of this class in service - Iskander. Depending on the modification, such an OTRK can use several types of missiles with different potentials.
Iskander missiles of all types have high performance and show themselves to be effective modern weapons. In the presence of such weapons, purchasing foreign equipment simply does not make sense. However, we cannot yet completely exclude the possibility of other types of OTRKs from friendly countries appearing in the troops. With proper organization of combat work, this will allow one to obtain better results, as well as help foreign colleagues gain combat experience and accumulate the necessary information.
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