Nodong-1
Encyclopedia
The Rodong-1 is a single stage, mobile liquid propellant medium range ballistic missile
developed by North Korea
. Developed in the mid-1980s, it is an adaptation of the Soviet
SS-1, more commonly known by its NATO reporting name
"Scud
".
and possibly Scud-C designs from China
, and reverse-engineered
them into a larger, longer-distance weapon dubbed the Rodong. U.S.
reconnaissance satellites
first detected this type in May 1990. North Korea alarmed Japan
in 1993 by launching a test missile towards Honshū
, although the missile fell harmlessly into the Sea of Japan
.
The precise capabilities and specifications of the missile are unknown; even the fact of its production and deployment are controversial. It is accepted to be a larger variant of the Scud-C, with a reported mass of 15,000-16,000 kg, with a diameter of about 1.3 m and a length of 15–17 m. Its range is estimated between 1,000 and 1,300 km and its maximum payload between 700 and 750 kg. Its poor accuracy makes it ineffectual against hardened military targets, however, so its speculated use would be to deliver a chemical, biological or nuclear warhead against large installations or cities.
Variants called the Rodong-2
, Rodong-B, and Rodong-X were developed, but production was halted in 1996 or 1997 due to North Korea's severe economic hardships
, and to focus resources on the more advanced Taepodong-1
Taepodong-X design. The Rodong-1 remained a lucrative export, however. Libya
and Syria
are believed to possess Rodong-1s, and variants are believed to be the basis for Iran
's Shahab-3
and Pakistan
's Ghauri
missiles.
North Korea fired 7 of these missiles from their east coast on July 4, 2009.
Ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the...
developed by 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...
. Developed in the mid-1980s, it is an adaptation of the 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....
SS-1, more commonly known by its NATO reporting name
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...
"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...
".
Overview
It is believed North Korea obtained Scud-B designs from EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and possibly Scud-C designs from China
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...
, and reverse-engineered
Reverse engineering
Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object, or system through analysis of its structure, function, and operation...
them into a larger, longer-distance weapon dubbed the Rodong. U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
reconnaissance satellites
Spy satellite
A spy satellite is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications....
first detected this type in May 1990. North Korea alarmed Japan
Japan
Japan 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...
in 1993 by launching a test missile towards Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, although the missile fell harmlessly 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...
.
The precise capabilities and specifications of the missile are unknown; even the fact of its production and deployment are controversial. It is accepted to be a larger variant of the Scud-C, with a reported mass of 15,000-16,000 kg, with a diameter of about 1.3 m and a length of 15–17 m. Its range is estimated between 1,000 and 1,300 km and its maximum payload between 700 and 750 kg. Its poor accuracy makes it ineffectual against hardened military targets, however, so its speculated use would be to deliver a chemical, biological or nuclear warhead against large installations or cities.
Variants called the Rodong-2
Nodong-2
Rodong-2 is a single stage, mobile liquid propellant medium range ballistic missile developed by North Korea....
, Rodong-B, and Rodong-X were developed, but production was halted in 1996 or 1997 due to North Korea's severe economic hardships
Economy of North Korea
The economy of North Korea is an industrialized and centrally planned economy.North Korea's economy remains one of the world's last centrally planned systems. The role of market allocation is sharply limited – mainly in the rural sector where some peasants sell produce from small private plots....
, and to focus resources on the more advanced 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...
Taepodong-X design. The Rodong-1 remained a lucrative export, however. Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
are believed to possess Rodong-1s, and variants are believed to be the basis for Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
's Shahab-3
Shahab-3
The Shahab-3 is a medium-range ballistic missile developed by Iran and based on the Nodong-1. The Shahab-3 has a range of ; a MRBM variant can now reach...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
's Ghauri
Ghauri (missile)
The Hatf V, named Ghauri , is a medium-range ballistic missile developed by Kahuta Research Laboratories of Pakistan. Powered by a single stage liquid fuel rocket motor, the missile has an optimum range of 1,500 km and can carry a payload of 700 kg...
missiles.
North Korea fired 7 of these missiles from their east coast on July 4, 2009.
See also
- 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...
- MusudanMusudan (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...
-1 - North Korean defense industry
- Military of North Korea
External links
- CNS report North Korea's Ballistic Missile Capabilities 2006
- Center for Nonproliferation Studies, North Korea's Ballistic Missile Program
- Claremont Institute, MissileThreat.com, No-dong 1
- GlobalSecurity.org, Nodong-1
- National Threat Initiative, Nodong: Overview and Technical Assessment
- Institute for Science and International Security, ISIS