Recently, North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un personally inspected the production of North Korea's latest tactical ballistic missile launcher during a rare inspection of a military factory. Judging from the official announcement of the DPRK, the focus of this inspection is the "Hwasong-11D" missile independently developed by the DPRK, which is a medium- and short-range ballistic missile called the DPRK's version of "Iskander" by the outside world, which has a high degree of mobility and accuracy, and is a sharp weapon for the DPRK to deal with South Korea. Moreover, a large number of missile launchers are densely parked in the factory warehouses, which shows the confidence and ambition of the DPRK in terms of armaments, and makes South Korea feel frightened and uneasy.
The Hwasong-11D missile is a highlight of North Korea's armaments in recent years, it is improved and upgraded on the basis of the Hwasong-11 missile, which is called the KN-23 by the United States. The biggest feature of this missile is that it can be launched in a variety of ways, including tracked, wheeled, tel transport, vertical launch, integrated mobile launch vehicle, box launch, etc., which makes it possible to launch anytime and anywhere in complex terrain and environment, increasing its survival and penetration capabilities. In addition, this missile also has a gliding and pull-up attack mode, which can change the trajectory during the flight, making it difficult for the enemy's anti-missile system to intercept and improve its strike effect. It is reported that this missile has a range of between 100 km and 200 km, can carry the "Volcano-31" nuclear warhead, and has a nuclear strike capability. It is considered a "conventional precision strike mass killer" against South Korea and can inflict devastating strikes on important targets and facilities in South Korea.
It is understood that North Korea first test-fired the "Hwasong-11D" missile in May 2019, when North Korea tested a total of two missiles, both of which successfully hit the intended target. Since then, North Korea has conducted several test launches of the Hwasong-11D missile to test its performance and reliability. According to information, at present, the DPRK has deployed a "Hwasong-11D" missile brigade with a total of 36 launch vehicles, each of which can carry 4 launch boxes, each of which can carry one missile, that is, one missile brigade can launch 144 missiles at the same time. Moreover, the DPRK also plans to expand to 3 missile brigades in the future, that is, the DPRK will have almost 100 launchers that can simultaneously launch almost 400 missiles. Such a scale of armament is enough to make South Korea feel frightened and powerless.
And Kim Jong-un's inspection of the military factory this time has made South Korea feel even more frightened and uneasy. Judging by the ** announced by the DPRK, Kim Jong-un personally inspected the production line of the Hwasong-11D missile and expressed satisfaction with the quality and quantity of the missile. He also personally boarded a launch vehicle to learn about its performance and operation. What is even more shocking is that a large number of launch vehicles are densely parked in the factory warehouse, some of which have been loaded with missiles, and some are still being assembled, showing that North Korea has formed a certain scale and capability in missile production, and if the missile production capacity matches the launch vehicles, North Korea's missile inventory may exceed 1,000 in the next few years. With such an armament stockpile, one can't help but wonder if North Korea is preparing for war.
Kim Jong-un also made a speech during the factory tour, in which he pointed out that South Korea is the main enemy of North Korea at present, and North Korea will use all means to sweep away South Korea if South Korea threatens North Korea's sovereignty and security. He also stressed that the DPRK's armament buildup is aimed at defending the dignity and interests of the country and the people, for realizing peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula, and for resisting US hegemony and interference. He asked the workers of the military factories to continue their efforts to add glory to North Korea's military power.
Kim Jong-un's inspection of the military factory is undoubtedly a strong warning and provocation to South Korea, and it is also a major blow to the security pattern of the entire region. The DPRK's possession of advanced tactical ballistic missiles such as the Hwasong-11 Ding will seriously test the ROK's defense capability and will also greatly reduce the effectiveness of the THAAD anti-missile system deployed by the United States in the ROK. The DPRK's armament ambitions and strength will bring tremendous pressure and challenges to the ROK, and will also bring uncertainties to regional peace and stability. How South Korea and the United States will respond to the arms threat from North Korea deserves our attention and consideration.