Artillery Guidance Bureau
Encyclopedia
The Artillery Guidance Bureau (AGB), also known as Missile Guidance Bureau (Hangul
: 미사일지도국, Hanja
: 미사일指導局) is the strategic missile
forces of North Korea
. The AGB is a major division of the Korean People's Army
that controls North Korea's nuclear and conventional strategic missiles. It is mainly equipped with surface-to-surface missile
s of Soviet
and Chinese
design, as well as locally developed long-range missiles.
In September 1971, North Korea signed an agreement with China to acquire, develop, and produce ballistic missiles, but significant bilateral cooperation did not begin until about 1977 when North Korean engineers participated in a joint development program for the DF-61, which was supposed to be a liquid-fueled ballistic missile with a range of about 600km and a 1,000kg warhead. The program was cancelled in 1978 because of Chinese domestic political reasons.
Around this same time, Pyongyang was also seeking Soviet missiles and technology. The DPRK did receive Soviet-made Scud-B ballistic missiles, but the timing of the acquisition is unclear. One North Korean defector has asserted that the Soviet Union provided about 20 Scud-Bs in 1972, but this claim has not been substantiated and is probably not credible.
By 1984, the DPRK had produced and flight-tested it's Hwasŏng-5, which reportedly has a range of 320km compared to the Scud-B’s 300km; the extra 20km is attributed to improvements in the missile’s propulsion system and not a reduction in the mass of the warhead. Just as North Korea was beginning to manufacture the Hwasŏng-5, Tehran approached Pyongyang in 1985 to purchase the missile for use in the “war of the cities” with Iraq. North Korea began to construct missile bases for the Hwasŏng-5 around 1985-86, just before the missile went into serial production around 1987. North Korea’s ballistic missile development then accelerated at a fast pace; as soon as mass production of the Hwasŏng-5 began, North Korea began developing the Hwasŏng-6 (火星-6 or Scud-C), the “Rodong”,49 the Paektusan-1 (白頭山-1; commonly known as the Taepodong-1), the Paektusan-2 (白頭山-2; commonly known as the Taepodong-2), and the “Musudan”
Despite the difficulties of missile development and the fact that other countries had tried and failed to develop medium- and intermediate-range missiles, North Korea began to produce Nodong prototypes around the same time it was beginning mass production of the Hwasŏng-6 (Scud-C). The first Nodong deployments were in February 1995, even though the system only had two flight tests--one catastrophic failure and one successful flight at a reduced range.
In 1999 different missile units, which were subordinate to the KPA Ground Force Artillery Command, were re-organized into a single missile force - the Missile Guidance Bureau.
There are other numerous smaller sites, scattered around the country, serving for mobile launcher pads. Some larger sites are under construction.
, Scud
-B, Hwasong 5 (NK built Scud-B), Hwasong-6 (NK built Scud -C), Rodong
-1, SCUD-ER.
Additionally, there are two space booster variants:
Paektusan
- a Taepodong-1 missile with a third stage and satellite added. Launched in 1998 with a small satellite on board (see Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1
). The satellite failed to reach orbit due to a malfunction in the additional third stage. Unha
- a Taepodong-2 missile with a third stage and satellite added. Launched in 2009, but once again, the satellite failed to reach orbit (see Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2
).
North Korea test-fired a short-range missile off its eastern coast toward Japan on 1 May 2005. The missile, fired into the Sea of Japan
(East Sea of Korea), appeared to have a range of between 100 to 120 kilometers. It is called by the North the KN-02 Toksa ("Viper"), an upgraded version of the Russian SS-21, with a longer range. The KN-02 nomenclature was disclosed by Kim Sung-il Kim Seong-il, chief information officer at Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a closed-door parliamentary session. The DPRK test-fired the same type of missile in April 2004, but the test failed. Another multiple test has taken place in 2006, and it was a success. According to most reports, the missile was deployed in 2007, and was seen on military parades.
). Despite the claims by numerous media that North Korea has not yet created nuclear warheads small enough to be fit in a missile, reports surfaced in April 2009, according to which North Korea has miniaturized warheads, capable of being mounted on its missiles. The most suitable nuclear weapons delivery system is the Rodong-1, which has been successfully tested many times.
Additionally, the DPRK possesses a large chemical weapons stockpile, including powerful agents such as tabun
, sarin
, soman
, VX gas and others. Little is known about the biological weapons stockpiles. They are probably limited, as North Koreans consider them much more dangerous to handle, therefore posing a threat to their own soldiers apart from the enemy.
Egypt:
Ethiopia:
Iran:
Libya:
Republic of the Congo:
Cuba:
Democratic Republic of the Congo:
Sudan:
Syria:
United Arab Emirates: 25 Hwasong-5s purchased from North Korea in 1989. The UAE military were not satisfied with the quality of the missiles, and they were kept in storage.
Vietnam
Yemen
National strategic missile forces:
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 미사일지도국, Hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
: 미사일指導局) is the strategic missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
forces of North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. The AGB is a major division of the Korean People's Army
Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army , also known as the Inmin Gun, are the military forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...
that controls North Korea's nuclear and conventional strategic missiles. It is mainly equipped with surface-to-surface missile
Surface-to-surface missile
A surface-to-surface missile is a guided projectile launched from a hand-held, vehicle mounted, trailer mounted or fixed installation or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket motor or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving...
s of Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
design, as well as locally developed long-range missiles.
History
Shortly after Kim Il-Sung's October 5, 1966 instructions to develop the military and economy jointly, the Second Machine Industry Ministry, under the KWP secretary in charge of military industries, was established to manage the procurement and production of weapons. Some sources assert that North Korea had begun the production of multiple rocket launchers in the early 1960s, but by 1965 Kim Il-sŏng had probably made the political decision to establish an indigenous missile production capability after the Soviets rebuffed his request for ballistic missiles. Nevertheless, during the 1960s the Soviet Union began to provide free rockets over ground (FROGs), surface to- air missiles (SAMs), and coastal defense antiship missiles, which exposed North Korean engineers to basic technologies for rocket propulsion, guidance, and related missile systems. And in 1965, North Korea founded the Hamhŭng Military Academy, which began to train North Korean personnel in rocket and missile development. By 1970, North Korea had had received surface-toship missiles and surface-to-air missiles from China, but Pyongyang was also seeking assistance to establish its own missile development program.In September 1971, North Korea signed an agreement with China to acquire, develop, and produce ballistic missiles, but significant bilateral cooperation did not begin until about 1977 when North Korean engineers participated in a joint development program for the DF-61, which was supposed to be a liquid-fueled ballistic missile with a range of about 600km and a 1,000kg warhead. The program was cancelled in 1978 because of Chinese domestic political reasons.
Around this same time, Pyongyang was also seeking Soviet missiles and technology. The DPRK did receive Soviet-made Scud-B ballistic missiles, but the timing of the acquisition is unclear. One North Korean defector has asserted that the Soviet Union provided about 20 Scud-Bs in 1972, but this claim has not been substantiated and is probably not credible.
By 1984, the DPRK had produced and flight-tested it's Hwasŏng-5, which reportedly has a range of 320km compared to the Scud-B’s 300km; the extra 20km is attributed to improvements in the missile’s propulsion system and not a reduction in the mass of the warhead. Just as North Korea was beginning to manufacture the Hwasŏng-5, Tehran approached Pyongyang in 1985 to purchase the missile for use in the “war of the cities” with Iraq. North Korea began to construct missile bases for the Hwasŏng-5 around 1985-86, just before the missile went into serial production around 1987. North Korea’s ballistic missile development then accelerated at a fast pace; as soon as mass production of the Hwasŏng-5 began, North Korea began developing the Hwasŏng-6 (火星-6 or Scud-C), the “Rodong”,49 the Paektusan-1 (白頭山-1; commonly known as the Taepodong-1), the Paektusan-2 (白頭山-2; commonly known as the Taepodong-2), and the “Musudan”
Despite the difficulties of missile development and the fact that other countries had tried and failed to develop medium- and intermediate-range missiles, North Korea began to produce Nodong prototypes around the same time it was beginning mass production of the Hwasŏng-6 (Scud-C). The first Nodong deployments were in February 1995, even though the system only had two flight tests--one catastrophic failure and one successful flight at a reduced range.
In 1999 different missile units, which were subordinate to the KPA Ground Force Artillery Command, were re-organized into a single missile force - the Missile Guidance Bureau.
Organization
The Artillery Guidance Bureau is a branch of the KPA, but is subordinate directly to the supreme commander of the armed forces.Facilities
- Musudan-riMusudan-riThe Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground, also known as Musudan-ri, is a rocket launching site in North Korea. It lies in southern North Hamgyong province, near the northern tip of the East Korea Bay...
is a rocket launching site in North Korea at 40°51′N, 129°40′E. It lies in southern North Hamgyong province, near the northern tip of the East Korea BayEast Korea BayEast Korea Bay is a bay in North Korea and an extension of the Sea of Japan . It is located between the provinces of Hamnam and Kangwon.-See also:*Korean Peninsula*Korea Bay...
. The area was formerly known as Taep'o-dong (대포동), from which the Taepodong rockets take their name. - Kittaeryŏng site is located in Kangwon province, which borders South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. It is used for launches of short to medium-range missiles and has a pad for mobile launchers. - Kalgol-dong site is located in Chagang province and houses Hwasong-5/6 missiles, targeting South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. - KusŏngKusongKusŏng is a coterminous city in central North Pyongan province, North Korea. It borders Taegwan to the north, Taechon to the east, Kwaksan and Chongju to the south, and Chonma to the north. The highest point is Chongryongsan . The year-round average temperature is 8.2 °C, with a January average...
site is located in North P'yongan province and houses Rodong missiles. It targets US forces in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. - Okp’yŏng-dong site is located in Kangwon province and houses Hwasong and Nodong missiles.
- Pongdong-riPongdong-riPongdong-ri is a rocket launching site in North Korea. Pongdong-ri's location was discovered by Janes Intelligence Group, which requested imagery from the satellite company DigitalGlobe. The base is located among hills close to the northern border with China...
is a new larger missile launch site under construction, located on North Korea's west coast, about 50 km south of the North Korean-Chinese border. As of September 2008 it is 80% complete, being much more advanced and modern than the older Musudan-ru site. Even though not completed, it can currently be used to launch missiles.
There are other numerous smaller sites, scattered around the country, serving for mobile launcher pads. Some larger sites are under construction.
Launching capabilities
- Silo-based launch:
- DPRK is not known to have built missile silos. Such facilities are only useful if the country operates missiles with a long range, which can be deployed fueled for significant periods of time, although simple silos can be built for short-range missiles such as the Hwasong-6. The only such missile in the North Korean inventory is the BM25/Musudan-1.
- Launch pads:
- Launching pads are required for the more sophisticated Taepodong-1/2, as their liquid propellant is difficult to store and the missile must be fueled immediately before launch. This launching method poses a great risk, as the site itself is extremely vulnerable to airstrikes. Launching pads can be used to test different types of SRBM, IRBM and ICBMs, and to launch space satellites, but they are of little value if any of these missiles is to be deployed as a strategic weapon.
- Mobile launcher vehicles:
- North Korea extensively uses mobile launchers for its missiles, including the Rodong-1 and the BM25Musudan (missile)The Taepodong X, also known under the names Nodong / Rodong-B, Mirim and BM25 Musudan is a mobile intermediate-range ballistic missile developed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, based on Soviet Union's R-27 Zyb. The missile probably makes up the 2nd stage of Taepodong-2, a...
. These are hard to detect and significantly improve survivability.
- Submarine/ship-based launch:
- The Korean People's NavyKorean People's NavyThe Korean People's Army Naval Force is the navy of North Korea. The Korean People's Army is made up of the Ground Force, the North Korean Air Force, and the Navy. It was established on June 5, 1946. The navy strength in the 1990s was about 40,000 to 60,000; current strength is at about 46,000...
is not known to have any ballistic missile submarines in its inventory, but has acquired 2 Foxtrot classFoxtrot class submarineThe Foxtrot class was the NATO reporting name of a class of diesel-electric patrol submarines that were built in the Soviet Union. The Soviet designation of this class was Project 641....
and 10 Golf-II classGolf class submarineProject 629, also known by the NATO reporting name of Golf class, were diesel electric ballistic missile submarines of the Soviet Navy. They were designed after six Zulu class submarines were successfully modified to carry and launch Scud missiles...
submarines for scrapping in 1993. The latter are capable of firing three SLBM. It is possible that North Korea has refurbished some of those with the help of more than 20 Russian experts or upgraded them to accommodate the larger Musudan-1. Another option is that their launch tubes have been studied, and either externally fitted to RomeoRomeo class submarineThe Romeo class is a class of Soviet diesel-electric submarine, built in 1950s. The origin of the Romeo class can be traced to the World War II German Type XXI Elektroboot U-boat. At the end of World War II, the Soviets obtained several Type XXIs, from which they were able to obtain certain key...
/Whiskey class submarineWhiskey class submarineWhiskey-class submarines are a class of naval submarines that the Soviet Union built in the early Cold War period.-Design:...
s, or simply deployed on a cargo ship. In both cases, the DPRK has vessels capable of striking US bases in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, GuamGuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, or even targets on the West Coast.
Active Missiles
Detailed listings of the equipment holdings of the Korean People's Army [KPA] are rather scarce in unclassified literature. North Korea operates the FROG-7FROG-7
The 9K52 Luna-M is a Soviet short-range ballistic missile complex. The 9M21 missiles are unguided and spin-stabilized. "9K52" is its GRAU designation. Its NATO reporting name is FROG-7....
, Scud
Scud
Scud is a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and exported widely to other countries. The term comes from the NATO reporting name SS-1 Scud which was attached to the missile by Western intelligence agencies...
-B, Hwasong 5 (NK built Scud-B), Hwasong-6 (NK built Scud -C), Rodong
Rodong
Rodong may refer to:*Rodong-1, a single stage, mobile liquid propellant ballistic missile developed by North Korea with a range of 1000-1300km...
-1, SCUD-ER.
| Missile | Type | Origin | Range | Inventory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FROG-7 FROG-7 The 9K52 Luna-M is a Soviet short-range ballistic missile complex. The 9M21 missiles are unguided and spin-stabilized. "9K52" is its GRAU designation. Its NATO reporting name is FROG-7.... |
artillery rocket | 70 km | 24 launchers | |
| KN-1 | anti-ship cruise missile | 110 - 160 km | ? | |
| KN-2 Toksa | Advanced SRBM | 120 – 140 km | 30 launchers | |
| Hwasong-5 Hwasong-5 The Hwasong-5 is a North Korean tactical ballistic missile derived from the Soviet R-17 Elbrus missile. It is one of several missiles with the NATO reporting name Scud.... |
SRBM | 330 km | ~180 | |
| Hwasong-6 Hwasong-6 The Hwasong-6 is a North Korean tactical ballistic missile. It is derived from the Hwasong-5, itself a derivative of the Soviet R-17 Elbrus. It carries the NATO reporting name Scud.... |
SRBM | 700 km | >700 | |
| Scud-ER 1 | SRBM | 800 km | ? | |
| Rodong-1 | MRBM | 1,300 km | >200 | |
| Rodong-2 | MRBM | 2,000 km | 50 ? | |
| Taepodong-1 Taepodong-1 Taepodong-1 is a two-stage intermediate-range ballistic missile developed in North Korea, and the weapon is currently in use there. The missile was derived originally from the Scud rocket, and can allegedly serve as both a nuclear delivery system and a space launch vehicle... |
MRBM | 2,500 km | 10 or 25-30 | |
| Taepodong-2 Taepodong-2 The Taepodong-2 is a designation used to indicate a North Korean two or three-stage ballistic missile design that is the successor to the Taepodong-1.-Details:... |
ICBM | up to 10,000 km; 6,700 km average | ? | |
| BM25 | IRBM, R-27 R-27 (missile) The R-27 Zyb was a submarine-launched ballistic missile developed by the Soviet Union and employed by the Soviet Navy from 1968 through 1988. NATO assigned the missile the reporting name SS-N-6 Serb. In the USSR, it was given the GRAU index 4K10... copy |
+2,500 km | ? | |
| Musudan-1 Musudan (missile) The Taepodong X, also known under the names Nodong / Rodong-B, Mirim and BM25 Musudan is a mobile intermediate-range ballistic missile developed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, based on Soviet Union's R-27 Zyb. The missile probably makes up the 2nd stage of Taepodong-2, a... |
SLBM, R-27 R-27 (missile) The R-27 Zyb was a submarine-launched ballistic missile developed by the Soviet Union and employed by the Soviet Navy from 1968 through 1988. NATO assigned the missile the reporting name SS-N-6 Serb. In the USSR, it was given the GRAU index 4K10... copy |
4,000 km | ? | |
Additionally, there are two space booster variants:
Paektusan
Paektusan (rocket)
The Paektusan, also transliterated Baekdusan or Pekdosan is a North Korean expendable carrier rocket, derived from the Taepodong-1 intermediate-range ballistic missile...
- a Taepodong-1 missile with a third stage and satellite added. Launched in 1998 with a small satellite on board (see Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1
Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1
Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1 was a satellite allegedly launched by North Korea on 31 August 1998. While the North Korean government claimed that the launch was successful making North Korea the ninth country to launch a satellite, no objects were ever tracked in orbit from the launch, and outside North Korea...
). The satellite failed to reach orbit due to a malfunction in the additional third stage. Unha
Unha
The Unha or Eunha is a North Korean expendable carrier rocket, which experts say utilises the same delivery system as the Taepodong-2 long-range ballistic missile...
- a Taepodong-2 missile with a third stage and satellite added. Launched in 2009, but once again, the satellite failed to reach orbit (see Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2
Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2
In this regard, a delegation of fifteen strong Iranian rocket scientists, including senior officials with Iranian rocket and satellite producer Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, has been in the DPRK since the beginning of March, to help prepare for the launch...
).
North Korea test-fired a short-range missile off its eastern coast toward Japan on 1 May 2005. The missile, fired into the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
(East Sea of Korea), appeared to have a range of between 100 to 120 kilometers. It is called by the North the KN-02 Toksa ("Viper"), an upgraded version of the Russian SS-21, with a longer range. The KN-02 nomenclature was disclosed by Kim Sung-il Kim Seong-il, chief information officer at Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a closed-door parliamentary session. The DPRK test-fired the same type of missile in April 2004, but the test failed. Another multiple test has taken place in 2006, and it was a success. According to most reports, the missile was deployed in 2007, and was seen on military parades.
Warheads
North Korean missiles can serve to deliver various types of warheads, including WMD. It is possible that up to 3 Rodong-1 missiles are fitted with nuclear warheads. In a similar manner to the initial Chinese nuclear doctrine, nuclear weapons are being stored separately, and would only be mounted on missiles after an order of the commander-in-chief (Kim Jong-ilKim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
). Despite the claims by numerous media that North Korea has not yet created nuclear warheads small enough to be fit in a missile, reports surfaced in April 2009, according to which North Korea has miniaturized warheads, capable of being mounted on its missiles. The most suitable nuclear weapons delivery system is the Rodong-1, which has been successfully tested many times.
Additionally, the DPRK possesses a large chemical weapons stockpile, including powerful agents such as tabun
Tabun
Tabun may refer to:* Tabun Cave, a cave near Tabun, Israel where remains of Neanderthal Man were found.* A tabun oven, a clay oven used to make tabun bread...
, sarin
Sarin
Sarin, or GB, is an organophosphorus compound with the formula [2CHO]CH3PF. It is a colorless, odorless liquid, which is used as a chemical weapon. It has been classified as a weapon of mass destruction in UN Resolution 687...
, soman
Soman
Soman, or GD , is an extremely toxic chemical substance. It is a nerve agent, interfering with normal functioning of the mammalian nervous system by inhibiting the cholinesterase enzyme. As a chemical weapon, it is classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations according to UN...
, VX gas and others. Little is known about the biological weapons stockpiles. They are probably limited, as North Koreans consider them much more dangerous to handle, therefore posing a threat to their own soldiers apart from the enemy.
Exports
These are countries which operate North Korean ballistic missiles, allegedly bought such or received assistance for establishing local production. Egypt:
- Egypt has received technologies and assistance for making both the Hwasong-5 and Hwasong-6.
Ethiopia:
- Unconfirmed information for possessing Hwasong-5 missiles.
Iran:
- One of the first buyers of North Korean missiles. Iran has established local production for the Hwasong-5 (Shahab-1), Hwasong-6 (Shahab-2) and the Rodong-1 (Shahab-3). Also has some 18 land-based BM25 missiles
Libya:
- Libya has been known to receive technological assistance, blueprints and missile parts from North Korea. Libya operated the Rodong-1, but scrapped all of its missile with a range, greater than 300 km, in 2004.
Republic of the Congo:
- There is some (although unconfirmed) information, that the Republic of Congo has acquired Hwasong-5 missiles.
Cuba:
- The information on a shipment of Hwasong-6 missiles to Cuba was never confirmed.
Democratic Republic of the Congo:
- The DRC is known to have received assistance from North Korea in operating and maintaining its Scud missiles; possible operator of the Hwasong-6.
Sudan:
- There is information that Syria may have shipped some of its Scud missiles to Sudan in 2004, although both Syrian and Sudanese officials deny.
Syria:
- Uses two types of North Korean missiles - the Hwasong-6 and Rodong-1.
United Arab Emirates: 25 Hwasong-5s purchased from North Korea in 1989. The UAE military were not satisfied with the quality of the missiles, and they were kept in storage. Vietnam
- Acquired 25 Hwasong-5 missiles in 1998.
Yemen
- Known to have bought missiles from the DPRK in the 1990s.
See also
- North Korea and weapons of mass destructionNorth Korea and weapons of mass destructionNorth Korea has declared that it has nuclear weapons and is believed by many to have nuclear weapons. The CIA assesses that North Korea also has a substantial arsenal of chemical weapons...
- North Korean missile testsNorth Korean missile testsThere have been a number of North Korean missile tests. It has also fired a number of short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan , apparently as political gestures.* 2009 North Korean missile test...
- List of states with nuclear weapons
National strategic missile forces:
- United States Strategic CommandUnited States Strategic CommandUnited States Strategic Command is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Department of Defense . The Command, including components, employs more than 2,700 people, representing all four services, including DoD civilians and contractors, who oversee the command's operationally...
, USA - Strategic Rocket ForcesStrategic Rocket ForcesThe Strategic Missile Troops or Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation or RVSN RF , transliteration: Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii, literally Missile Troops of Strategic Designation of the Russian Federation) are a military branch of the Russian...
, Russia - UK Trident programmeUK Trident programmeThe UK Trident programme is the United Kingdom's Trident missile-based nuclear weapons programme. Under the programme, the Royal Navy operates 58 nuclear-armed Trident II D-5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and around 200 nuclear warheads on 4 Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines from...
, UK - Second Artillery Corps, PRC
Further reading
North Korea's Nuclear and Missile programs, a very comprehensive and up-to-date report of 18 June 2009External links
- KPA Equipment Holdings
- CIA World Factbook
- GlobalSecurity.org
- FAS
- Profile of Frog-7 published by the United States Army Center of Military History