North Korea: Test Stand for Vertical Launch of Sea-Based Ballistic Missiles Spotted

Recent press reports have raised the possibility that North Korea is developing the capability to launch ballistic missiles from submarines.

A review of commercial satellite imagery since 2010 covering submarine bases and submarine shipyards has identified a new test stand at the North’s Sinpo South Shipyard, probably intended to explore the possibility of launching ballistic missiles from submarines or of a shipboard vertical launch ballistic missile capability.

The new installation is the right size and design to be used for the research, development, and testing of the process of ejecting a missile out of a launch tube as well as evaluating its compatibility with submarines and surface combatants as well as the missiles themselves.

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