TELs on Parade: The Missiles in North Korea ’s Army Day Parade

Kim Jong-un threw a big military parade earlier today, reminding the world of his military power on theeve of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics ’ opening ceremony. Compared to themassive annual parade that takes place on April 15th (the anniversary of Kim Il-sung ’s birth), today’s parade was smaller and less significant, though it did feature some interesting missile systems.The first missile system of note was a new type of close- or short-range ballistic missile (C/SRBM) that, at first glance, looks similar to theRussian-made Iskander-M SRBM. (New type of North Korean C/SRBM, February 8, 2018. Source:YouTube)(Iskander-M SRBM system. Source:Wikipedia Commons)Like the Iskander, the new North Korean system carries two missiles side-by-side in a four axle transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) vehicle. Another similarity of the two systems is fuel type: most C/SRBMs use solid rocket fuel. Although the type of fuel used in the new North Korean missile system cannot be determined from the parade video alone, it would be very unusual for a missile of its size to not use solid fuel. The combination of the TEL and solid rocket fuel implies that the North Korean system is highly mobile and canbe launched on much shorter notice than Pyongyang ’s liquid-fueled Scud missiles. The new missile may have a shorter range and lighter payload than the larger Scud, but the smaller logistical footprint and shorter launch time of the new system could offer important tactical advantages.   H...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs