The underwater sword of the Juche country
The Korean People's Army Navy has an impressive submarine force. fleet, one of the largest in the world in terms of numbers (a number of foreign sources estimate it to be up to 83 units).
The People's Republic of Korea's submarine fleet was born in 1961, when the S-75 Project 613 submarine (NATO reporting name "Whiskey"), built in 1953, was transferred from the Soviet Pacific Fleet to the DPRK. Then, between 1962 and 1966, three more submarines of the same project (S-90, S-325, and S-326) were transferred, all free of charge. The Korean submariners were trained by their Chinese counterparts. All of these submarines served successfully until the early 2000s.
On August 31, 1959, the Soviet Navy began receiving more advanced Project 633 medium submarines (known as "Romeo" in NATO). As early as August 1956, almost simultaneously with the approval of the technical design for these submarines, preparation of the design and technological documentation for transfer to the People's Republic of China began. Simultaneously, with the assistance of Soviet specialists, preparations were underway for the construction of the 633s at Chinese shipyards.
Between 1962 and 1987, 12 Project 633 submarines and 72 Project 033 submarines (an improved Chinese modification of the basic design) were built at shipyards in Shanghai and Wuhan. In the first half of the 70s, the Chinese went even further, beginning production of Project 035 submarines (NATO reporting name: Ming-class), an even more radical modification of the Soviet Project 633 submarines. Project 033 submarines were also supplied to North Korea, Egypt, and Project 035 to Bangladesh.
Between 1973 and 1975, seven Project 033 submarines were transferred to the DPRK. Earlier, on September 6, 1971, an agreement was signed in Beijing for the free transfer to North Korea of the complete technical documentation for the construction of such submarines, the construction of the necessary full-cycle shipyard, and the supply of hull parts and equipment for their subsequent assembly with the assistance of Chinese specialists.
Project 033 submarine of the DPRK fleet
At the shipyard built in Sinpo, 11 submarines were assembled and delivered to the navy from parts supplied by China between 1976 and 1979, with their construction subsequently transferred entirely to Korean shipbuilders. A total of 20 Project 033 submarines were built in the DPRK between 1976 and 1995. One of them perished in the Yellow Sea in February 1985 with all hands for unknown reasons—it is possible that it was sunk by South Korean or American ships. Soviet Navy ships participated in the rescue operation.
Any information about the operations of the Korean submarines of the 613 and 033 types is a closely guarded secret, and finding it is virtually impossible. It is also unknown how many 033s are still in service.
When examining the situation on the Korean Peninsula, it is important to take into account the fact that North Korea and South Korea are still de jure in a state of war. Although an armistice agreement was signed in Panmunjom on July 27, 1953, only representatives of the Korean People's Army, the Chinese People's Volunteers, and UN forces (mostly American) signed it. South Korean representative General Choe Doksin refused to sign.
Attempts by North Korean authorities to initiate peace treaty negotiations failed to gain support from the opposing side. In response to armed provocations by the US and South Korea, North Korea abrogated the 1991 non-aggression agreement with South Korea on March 8, 2013, and announced its withdrawal from the ceasefire on March 13, 2013.
After the North Korean Navy received Project 613 and Project 033 submarines, North Korean specialists switched to designing and building submarines in-house, although some foreign experts see a "Yugoslavian" trace in some of the designs. The development of new submarines was complicated by the de facto economic blockade of the socialist republic and the lack of access to modern foreign technology. The collapse of the USSR and the end of cooperation with this crucial ally played a significant role. Meanwhile, the newly "democratic" Russia even joined the sanctions against North Korea.
Although the Korean People's Army has ample opportunities to shelter the launchers of its ballistic and cruise missiles, missiles (Underground silos and tunnels, as well as mobile installations—rail, wheeled, and tracked—the country's small size increases the likelihood of intercepting launching missiles during the boost phase, when they are extremely vulnerable to land- and sea-based anti-missile systems of the United States, South Korea, and Japan. Therefore, North Korean authorities have assigned submarines a crucial role in implementing their nuclear missile program.
The largest submarine designed and built in the DPRK, and the first to be armed with ballistic missiles, was the 8.24 Yongung (August 24 Hero, or Sinpo or Gorae according to foreign classification). Its existence became publicly known from a Google Earth image (October 2014), which showed the submarine being completed at the Sinpo shipyard pier next to a floating SLBM test rig, very reminiscent of the submersible rigs used for Soviet missile test launches.
8.24 Yongung
The submarine "8.24 Yongung" and a floating missile launcher at the shipyard berth.
Currently, at least the aforementioned submarine is in service, although some sources believe there may be as many as six Sinpo-class submarines. It is more likely that the 8.24 Yongung is being used as a single prototype submarine-launched ballistic missile submarine. The design of this submarine represents a significant advancement over its Soviet predecessors. It features a streamlined hull with near-optimal hydrodynamic properties, a single-shaft main propulsion system, and a cruciform arrangement of the aft vertical and horizontal rudders. The propulsion system is diesel-electric, and some sources also indicate the possible presence of an air-independent propulsion system (AIP). This possibility is also supported by media reports of North Korean proposals to export AIP propulsion systems.
Other information about the 8.24 Yongung published in foreign sources is highly contradictory and largely far-fetched. The only reliable estimates are its maximum length (67-70 meters), beam (6,5-7 meters), and surface/submerged displacement (approximately 1500/1700 tons). The estimated operating depth is 180 meters.
The boat is equipped with one or two vertical launchers of the Pukguksong family of ballistic missiles and two or four bow torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber.
Many experts believe that, when creating the submarine, North Korean specialists used information obtained during the study of Project 629A missile submarines decommissioned from the Pacific Fleet, purchased from Russia for scrap metal.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced the first launch of a Pukguksong-1 ballistic missile from a submerged submarine in 2015. Previous tests had been conducted from submersible test rigs located in lakes or reservoirs, as well as in North Korea's coastal waters.
Loading a ballistic missile onto the 8.24 Yongung in the presence of Kim Jong-un
The Pukguksong-1 missile is launched from a submarine.
The existence of Pukguksong-1 through Pukguksong-6 SLBMs has been reported, and some of these missiles have been demonstrated at parades in Pyongyang. Naturally, the Korean People's Republic does not publish detailed performance characteristics of these missiles, and they have never been launched to their full range due to the limited size of adjacent seas and the proximity of foreign territories. Therefore, the range is estimated based on the maximum altitude of the ballistic trajectory and the distance reached to the impact point.
Pukguksong-5 missiles on display in Pyongyang.
The underwater launch sequence of the Pukguksong-3 missile
All of the aforementioned missiles are solid-fuel, two-stage, cold-launch underwater missiles capable of carrying either a conventional or nuclear warhead (estimated at between 10 and 25 kilotons). Below is the author's access to information about North Korea's SLBMs, which he believes is far from accurate, and Comrade Kim Jong-un strictly guards state secrets.
Main performance characteristics of the Pukguksong missile family
Although the Pukguksong-4 and Pukguksong-6 missiles were displayed at military parades in Pyongyang, there has been no media coverage of their testing. Many experts believe the Pukguksong-5 and Pukguksong-6 will be armed with multiple nuclear warheads.
Pukguksong family missiles
On October 19, 2021, the submerged 8.24 Yongung launched a Hwasong-11Ga (KN-23) solid-fuel tactical ballistic missile. It is similar to the Russian Iskander missile, but with a more powerful warhead (up to 1500 kg, and can be conventional or nuclear). The missile is 9,8 meters long, 1,1 meters in diameter, and has a takeoff weight of 3,4 tons. Its range is approximately 900 km, and it is capable of low-altitude flight and in-flight maneuvering to evade missile defense systems.
Hwasong-11Ga (KN-23) tactical ballistic missile
North Korean submariners have also acquired the Hwasal-2 underwater-launched cruise missile. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), it was successfully tested in 2021. This cruise missile is approximately 6 meters long, with a 0,54-0,60 m diameter with folded wings, and a range of 2000 km. It can carry a conventional or nuclear warhead.
Hwasal family missiles
According to KCNA, on January 28, 2024, two new Pulhwasal-3-31 cruise missiles were successfully launched from a submarine in the Yellow Sea. Kim Jong-un personally supervised the test. The missiles remained in flight for over two hours before striking their simulated targets.
Launch of the Pulhwasal-3-31 cruise missile from a submarine
On September 6, 2023, the launching ceremony for the missile submarine "Kim Gun Ok young woong ho" (Hero Kim Gun Ok), with the tactical number 841, was held at the Sinpo Shipyard. The construction of this submarine, designated the "Sinpo-C" type abroad, was first announced in July 2019 during a visit to the shipyard by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In a report on the event, the submarine was referred to as "newly built submarine", although foreign experts consider it to be a modified submarine of the 033 type.
Missile silo covers "Kim Gun Ok young woong ho"
Probable general location of the submarine "Kim Gun Ok young woong ho"
In his speech at the launch ceremony of the "Kim Gun Ok Young Woong Ho," Kim Jong-un stated that the country plans to convert all Type 033 submarines into such missile-carrying submarines. He also stated the following:
From these words, it was highly likely that the 841st used a completely new type of main propulsion plant, not the old Project 633 plant. Furthermore, the addition of nuclear-powered submarines to the North Korean fleet should be expected in the near future.
Продолжение следует ...
The People's Republic of Korea's submarine fleet was born in 1961, when the S-75 Project 613 submarine (NATO reporting name "Whiskey"), built in 1953, was transferred from the Soviet Pacific Fleet to the DPRK. Then, between 1962 and 1966, three more submarines of the same project (S-90, S-325, and S-326) were transferred, all free of charge. The Korean submariners were trained by their Chinese counterparts. All of these submarines served successfully until the early 2000s.
On August 31, 1959, the Soviet Navy began receiving more advanced Project 633 medium submarines (known as "Romeo" in NATO). As early as August 1956, almost simultaneously with the approval of the technical design for these submarines, preparation of the design and technological documentation for transfer to the People's Republic of China began. Simultaneously, with the assistance of Soviet specialists, preparations were underway for the construction of the 633s at Chinese shipyards.
Between 1962 and 1987, 12 Project 633 submarines and 72 Project 033 submarines (an improved Chinese modification of the basic design) were built at shipyards in Shanghai and Wuhan. In the first half of the 70s, the Chinese went even further, beginning production of Project 035 submarines (NATO reporting name: Ming-class), an even more radical modification of the Soviet Project 633 submarines. Project 033 submarines were also supplied to North Korea, Egypt, and Project 035 to Bangladesh.
Between 1973 and 1975, seven Project 033 submarines were transferred to the DPRK. Earlier, on September 6, 1971, an agreement was signed in Beijing for the free transfer to North Korea of the complete technical documentation for the construction of such submarines, the construction of the necessary full-cycle shipyard, and the supply of hull parts and equipment for their subsequent assembly with the assistance of Chinese specialists.
Project 033 submarine of the DPRK fleet
At the shipyard built in Sinpo, 11 submarines were assembled and delivered to the navy from parts supplied by China between 1976 and 1979, with their construction subsequently transferred entirely to Korean shipbuilders. A total of 20 Project 033 submarines were built in the DPRK between 1976 and 1995. One of them perished in the Yellow Sea in February 1985 with all hands for unknown reasons—it is possible that it was sunk by South Korean or American ships. Soviet Navy ships participated in the rescue operation.
Any information about the operations of the Korean submarines of the 613 and 033 types is a closely guarded secret, and finding it is virtually impossible. It is also unknown how many 033s are still in service.
When examining the situation on the Korean Peninsula, it is important to take into account the fact that North Korea and South Korea are still de jure in a state of war. Although an armistice agreement was signed in Panmunjom on July 27, 1953, only representatives of the Korean People's Army, the Chinese People's Volunteers, and UN forces (mostly American) signed it. South Korean representative General Choe Doksin refused to sign.
Attempts by North Korean authorities to initiate peace treaty negotiations failed to gain support from the opposing side. In response to armed provocations by the US and South Korea, North Korea abrogated the 1991 non-aggression agreement with South Korea on March 8, 2013, and announced its withdrawal from the ceasefire on March 13, 2013.
After the North Korean Navy received Project 613 and Project 033 submarines, North Korean specialists switched to designing and building submarines in-house, although some foreign experts see a "Yugoslavian" trace in some of the designs. The development of new submarines was complicated by the de facto economic blockade of the socialist republic and the lack of access to modern foreign technology. The collapse of the USSR and the end of cooperation with this crucial ally played a significant role. Meanwhile, the newly "democratic" Russia even joined the sanctions against North Korea.
Although the Korean People's Army has ample opportunities to shelter the launchers of its ballistic and cruise missiles, missiles (Underground silos and tunnels, as well as mobile installations—rail, wheeled, and tracked—the country's small size increases the likelihood of intercepting launching missiles during the boost phase, when they are extremely vulnerable to land- and sea-based anti-missile systems of the United States, South Korea, and Japan. Therefore, North Korean authorities have assigned submarines a crucial role in implementing their nuclear missile program.
The largest submarine designed and built in the DPRK, and the first to be armed with ballistic missiles, was the 8.24 Yongung (August 24 Hero, or Sinpo or Gorae according to foreign classification). Its existence became publicly known from a Google Earth image (October 2014), which showed the submarine being completed at the Sinpo shipyard pier next to a floating SLBM test rig, very reminiscent of the submersible rigs used for Soviet missile test launches.
8.24 Yongung
The submarine "8.24 Yongung" and a floating missile launcher at the shipyard berth.
Currently, at least the aforementioned submarine is in service, although some sources believe there may be as many as six Sinpo-class submarines. It is more likely that the 8.24 Yongung is being used as a single prototype submarine-launched ballistic missile submarine. The design of this submarine represents a significant advancement over its Soviet predecessors. It features a streamlined hull with near-optimal hydrodynamic properties, a single-shaft main propulsion system, and a cruciform arrangement of the aft vertical and horizontal rudders. The propulsion system is diesel-electric, and some sources also indicate the possible presence of an air-independent propulsion system (AIP). This possibility is also supported by media reports of North Korean proposals to export AIP propulsion systems.
Other information about the 8.24 Yongung published in foreign sources is highly contradictory and largely far-fetched. The only reliable estimates are its maximum length (67-70 meters), beam (6,5-7 meters), and surface/submerged displacement (approximately 1500/1700 tons). The estimated operating depth is 180 meters.
The boat is equipped with one or two vertical launchers of the Pukguksong family of ballistic missiles and two or four bow torpedo tubes of 533 mm caliber.
Many experts believe that, when creating the submarine, North Korean specialists used information obtained during the study of Project 629A missile submarines decommissioned from the Pacific Fleet, purchased from Russia for scrap metal.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced the first launch of a Pukguksong-1 ballistic missile from a submerged submarine in 2015. Previous tests had been conducted from submersible test rigs located in lakes or reservoirs, as well as in North Korea's coastal waters.
Loading a ballistic missile onto the 8.24 Yongung in the presence of Kim Jong-un
The Pukguksong-1 missile is launched from a submarine.
The existence of Pukguksong-1 through Pukguksong-6 SLBMs has been reported, and some of these missiles have been demonstrated at parades in Pyongyang. Naturally, the Korean People's Republic does not publish detailed performance characteristics of these missiles, and they have never been launched to their full range due to the limited size of adjacent seas and the proximity of foreign territories. Therefore, the range is estimated based on the maximum altitude of the ballistic trajectory and the distance reached to the impact point.
Pukguksong-5 missiles on display in Pyongyang.
The underwater launch sequence of the Pukguksong-3 missile
All of the aforementioned missiles are solid-fuel, two-stage, cold-launch underwater missiles capable of carrying either a conventional or nuclear warhead (estimated at between 10 and 25 kilotons). Below is the author's access to information about North Korea's SLBMs, which he believes is far from accurate, and Comrade Kim Jong-un strictly guards state secrets.
Main performance characteristics of the Pukguksong missile family
Although the Pukguksong-4 and Pukguksong-6 missiles were displayed at military parades in Pyongyang, there has been no media coverage of their testing. Many experts believe the Pukguksong-5 and Pukguksong-6 will be armed with multiple nuclear warheads.
Pukguksong family missiles
On October 19, 2021, the submerged 8.24 Yongung launched a Hwasong-11Ga (KN-23) solid-fuel tactical ballistic missile. It is similar to the Russian Iskander missile, but with a more powerful warhead (up to 1500 kg, and can be conventional or nuclear). The missile is 9,8 meters long, 1,1 meters in diameter, and has a takeoff weight of 3,4 tons. Its range is approximately 900 km, and it is capable of low-altitude flight and in-flight maneuvering to evade missile defense systems.
Hwasong-11Ga (KN-23) tactical ballistic missile
North Korean submariners have also acquired the Hwasal-2 underwater-launched cruise missile. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), it was successfully tested in 2021. This cruise missile is approximately 6 meters long, with a 0,54-0,60 m diameter with folded wings, and a range of 2000 km. It can carry a conventional or nuclear warhead.
Hwasal family missiles
According to KCNA, on January 28, 2024, two new Pulhwasal-3-31 cruise missiles were successfully launched from a submarine in the Yellow Sea. Kim Jong-un personally supervised the test. The missiles remained in flight for over two hours before striking their simulated targets.
Launch of the Pulhwasal-3-31 cruise missile from a submarine
On September 6, 2023, the launching ceremony for the missile submarine "Kim Gun Ok young woong ho" (Hero Kim Gun Ok), with the tactical number 841, was held at the Sinpo Shipyard. The construction of this submarine, designated the "Sinpo-C" type abroad, was first announced in July 2019 during a visit to the shipyard by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In a report on the event, the submarine was referred to as "newly built submarine", although foreign experts consider it to be a modified submarine of the 033 type.
Missile silo covers "Kim Gun Ok young woong ho"
Probable general location of the submarine "Kim Gun Ok young woong ho"
In his speech at the launch ceremony of the "Kim Gun Ok Young Woong Ho," Kim Jong-un stated that the country plans to convert all Type 033 submarines into such missile-carrying submarines. He also stated the following:
Four years have already passed since I gave the order here – to introduce advanced power systems (VNEU? – author's note) not only to the latest submarines scheduled for further construction, in particular submarines with nuclear engines, but also to existing medium-sized submarines, to increase the overall capability for conducting underwater combat operations...
At the same time, we must give greater impetus to the construction of nuclear-powered submarines in order to strengthen and develop our Navy as a branch of the armed forces of a global maritime power, capable of reliably preserving not only the peace of our homeland and people, but also peace and security in the region and on Earth.
From these words, it was highly likely that the 841st used a completely new type of main propulsion plant, not the old Project 633 plant. Furthermore, the addition of nuclear-powered submarines to the North Korean fleet should be expected in the near future.
Продолжение следует ...
Information