North Korea disclosed a secret weapon for the first time on the 24th - the nuclear unmanned submarine "tsunami". In the face of large-scale military exercises by the United States and South Korea, North Korea has also frequently displayed new weapons to the outside world, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula is cloudy.
KCNA publicly reported on the test of North Korea's new submersible attack weapon system on the 24th. The report said that the DPRK sent a "tsunami" nuclear unmanned submarine attack craft to the eastern waters on the 21st, dived along the preset route at a depth of 80 to 150 meters for about 59 hours, and arrived at the target point in the waters of the imaginary enemy port on the 23rd to carry out underwater blasting of the test warhead. The training verified the reliability and safety of the weapon system and was designed to counter "serious provocations" to national security.
KCNA: "Tsunami" passed more than 50 tests
North Korea began developing a submersible nuclear strategic attack weapon system for a new operational concept in 2012, KCNA reported. The secret weapon was named the "Nuclear Unmanned Submarine Tsunami" at the Eighth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, and has since passed more than 50 final stage tests in different forms.
North Korea Central Television announcer Ri Chun-hee
The mission of submersible nuclear strategic weapons is to covertly dive into operational waters, carry out underwater explosions, cause super-powerful radioactive tsunamis, destroy and destroy enemy warship formations and major operational ports, and this nuclear unmanned submarine attack craft can be used on any coast, port or tugboat.
Expert: North Korean "tsunami" or similar Russian "Poseidon"
Some military experts said that judging from the news released by North Korea, North Korea's nuclear unmanned submarine attack craft may be an underwater combat weapon similar to the Russian "Poseidon" unmanned underwater vehicle. The Poseidon nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle resembles a torpedo, can carry a nuclear warhead, and can autonomously calculate the optimal route to hit the target. Once it explodes near the enemy's coast, it can trigger a tsunami 500 meters high and 550 kilometers wide, which can not only completely destroy the enemy naval base, but also the coastal city will be devastated.
South Korea's SBS television station speculated that North Korea's public "Tsunami" nuclear unmanned submarine attack craft was about six to seven meters long, between a quarter and a third of Poseidon. The visual warhead diameter is about 800 mm, which is the size of which can carry small tactical nuclear weapons. Carnegie Institution expert Ankitt Panda believes that Russia's "Poseidon" nuclear torpedo uses nuclear power, and North Korea's "nuclear unmanned submarine attack craft" may use conventional power.
Honorary Research Committee Member of Korea Institute of Science and Technology Policy Lee Chun-geun
The specific power has not been verified, so it is difficult to judge. But if a nuclear explosion occurs near the port, it could blow up the port itself, which can be said to be quite threatening.
Japanese media: North Korea intends to show that it has diversified means of strike
Japan's Kyodo News Agency believes that North Korea intends to show that it has diversified means to attack the entire territory of South Korea and even Japan, and contain the military movements of the United States and South Korea.
KCNA: To ensure national security North Korea needs to have a variety of nuclear attack capabilities
Since the beginning of this year, large-scale military exercises between the United States and South Korea have exacerbated tensions on the Korean Peninsula. KCNA said that the anti-Korean war exercises of the United States and South Korea have brought the military-political situation on the Korean Peninsula to a dangerous point that is difficult to reverse. North Korea's national security faces serious provocations that require a stronger war deterrent — that is, a more developed and diverse nuclear attack capability.
Analysis: North Korea's sea-based nuclear forces are diversifying their weapons
In response to joint U.S.-South Korean exercises, North Korea has recently conducted multiple missile tests, launching different types of missiles, including new tactical ballistic missiles, intercontinental missiles and cruise missiles. The first disclosure of the "Tsunami" nuclear unmanned submarine attack craft has also made the development of North Korea's sea-based nuclear forces a topic of discussion in the outside world. Previously, North Korea had publicly tested submarine-launched ballistic missiles and submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles on several occasions.
In terms of submarine-launched ballistic missiles, ballistic missiles have the advantages of fast flight speed and strong penetration capabilities, and nuclear powers have generally created sea-based nuclear forces with nuclear submarines and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
Although North Korea does not currently have nuclear submarines, it is building a sea-based nuclear force model with conventional submarines paired with submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
In May 2015, North Korea's first submarine-launched ballistic missile "Polaris"-1 was successfully tested; In October 2019, North Korea successfully conducted a test launch of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile Polaris-3; In October 2021, North Korean submarines successfully tested a new submarine-launched ballistic missile.
In terms of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles, on March 12, North Korea disclosed the existence of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles for the first time. According to the Korean Central News Agency, the North Korean "24 August Hero Ship" submarine launched two strategic cruise missiles that day, flying 1,500 kilometers. According to the report, through launch training, the reliability of the weapon system is confirmed.
Military experts analyzed that from ballistic missiles to cruise missiles and now nuclear unmanned submarine attack boats, the weapons of North Korea's sea-based nuclear forces have shown a trend of diversified development.
Source: CCTV4 "Asia Today"