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IHS Jane’s, July 22, 2016, reports North Korea is
constructing a concrete fortified structure near the port of Sinpo that looks like pens capable of covering conventionally powered ballistic missile submarines
(SSBs). I would guess that UK and US naval intelligence have been doing the
observing and analysis then feeding the following to Jane’s (the conduit to we the public).
The
construction is 2.25 km south of Sinpo shipyard and close to the Mayang Do Primary Naval Base (see it marked on map above), on the east coast of North Korea.
Commercial
satellite imagery shows construction began August 2009 - November 2012
with the harbour blocked off by a sea wall and filled in by November 2012. Visible
dock excavations have been made and concrete pored for protective slab roofs.
Two
pens are approximately 150m long, 10m wide, and 14m apart. I would say these are large enough to
take 5,000 – 6,000 tonne submarines that have beams less than 10m.
Satellite
imagery from 8 May 2016 revealed construction on the pens had progressed
to portions being covered with earth. Construction
was still ongoing on the front of both pens and a barge was tied to the
seawall. The new pier, now 137m long and 13m wide, was nearing completion.
North
Korea already has several submarine bunkers, at least some of which are capable
of accommodating its obsolescent Romeo class
SSKs.
This diagram of the Singpo clas SSB (at 68m long, 6.5m beam) is clearly small for the pens. Maybe 2 to 4 could be squeezed into the larger pen space of 137m long and 13m wide. H I Sutton of Covert Shores has produced excellent artwork, photos and description here depicting a North Korean "Gorae" Sinpo class SSB with two SLBMs mounted in the fin.
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Pete
Hi Pete
ReplyDeleteIn this March, a NK submarine had gone missing at sea and was presumed to have sunk [1]. And now, the sinking is confirmed to be true [2].
[1]https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/13/north-korean-submarine-missing-and-presumed-sunk-say-reports
[2]http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/world/list/201612/CK2016121502000126.html (Tokyo Shinbun, Dec/15/2016)
According to interested parties of NK and intelligence authorities of neighboring countries, a NK submarine navigating in NK territorial waters broke into two, and all of 12 crews died. The cause was unclear.
Regards
S
Hi S
ReplyDeleteFrom the number of crew (12) who died I suspect it was a North Korean https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sang-O-class_submarine class. Sang Os have 15 crew but just 12 crew might be for short missions.
Also Sang Os ar NKs most common submarine with up to 40 in service.
Regards
Pete