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North Korea fires ballistic missile from submarine

12th November 2021 - 02:09 GMT | by Gordon Arthur in Christchurch

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North Korea tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile from a submerged submarine on 19 October. (KCNA)

North Korea fired a new type of short-range ballistic missile from a submarine for the first time last month.

North Korea capped off a flurry of missile tests throughout September by firing a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on 19 October.

The test occurred near North Korea’s submarine base and naval facility at Sinpo on the east coast. The missile flew 590km and reached an apogee of 60km, according to South Korean officials.

Images of the missile suggest it is based on the ground-launched KN-23 short-range ballistic missile. It is thought to have been exhibited in a defence show in Pyongyang a week earlier.

Images showed that the missile was cold-launched from underwater using a launch assist device, before the

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Gordon Arthur

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Gordon Arthur


Gordon Arthur was the Asia Pacific editor for Shephard Media. Born in Scotland and educated …

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