NORTH KOREAN MISSILE TEST FACILITY
The image above depicts a North Korean missile test facility as it appeared on 19 September 2006. Recent open source reporting claims that this site is intended to be a missile facility designed to test long-range missiles, potentially including ICBMs. This facility would seem to be a far more robust and capable facility than the previous Taepo-dong test facility on the eastern coast of North Korea. Two major facilities are present: a missile assembly area and launch pad to the northwest, and a rocket motor test pad to the southeast. The presence of the rocket motor test pad lends credibility to the description of this site as a test facility. Any operational launch facility would likely not contain such robust and intricate testing facilities, and an operational ICBM field would also likely not be placed so close to the coastline and in open view of intelligence gathering platforms. North Korea is highly involved in denial and deception efforts, and any operational launch area would likely be concealed using such efforts. North Korea's liquid fueled long-range missiles would have to be erected on the launch pad and then fueled for launch, a lengthy process which would be easily monitored by intelligence organizations, negating the facility's ability to provide a location for a credible attack on the United States.
Analyst John Pike has been quoted by the Associated Press as stating that "they have the intention to develop the capability to perfect a missile to deliver atomic bombs to the United States." There is no evidence to suggest at this time that this new facility is designed to service ICBMs exclusively, and the recent discussions over the Yongbyon reactor complex do indicate that North Korea may be willing to finally curtail its nuclear weapons program. Given that information, this facility would be best described as simply a test facility designed to aid in the development of long range weapons. Claiming that the facility represents a desire to strike at the United States with nuclear arms would appear at this juncture to be premature.
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION
Feel free to discuss the current Image of the Week at the IMINT & Analysis Forum Image of the Week discussion thread found here.
SOURCES
-Overhead imagery provided courtesy of Google Earth
Satellite Finds New North Korean Missile Site
The image above depicts a North Korean missile test facility as it appeared on 19 September 2006. Recent open source reporting claims that this site is intended to be a missile facility designed to test long-range missiles, potentially including ICBMs. This facility would seem to be a far more robust and capable facility than the previous Taepo-dong test facility on the eastern coast of North Korea. Two major facilities are present: a missile assembly area and launch pad to the northwest, and a rocket motor test pad to the southeast. The presence of the rocket motor test pad lends credibility to the description of this site as a test facility. Any operational launch facility would likely not contain such robust and intricate testing facilities, and an operational ICBM field would also likely not be placed so close to the coastline and in open view of intelligence gathering platforms. North Korea is highly involved in denial and deception efforts, and any operational launch area would likely be concealed using such efforts. North Korea's liquid fueled long-range missiles would have to be erected on the launch pad and then fueled for launch, a lengthy process which would be easily monitored by intelligence organizations, negating the facility's ability to provide a location for a credible attack on the United States.Analyst John Pike has been quoted by the Associated Press as stating that "they have the intention to develop the capability to perfect a missile to deliver atomic bombs to the United States." There is no evidence to suggest at this time that this new facility is designed to service ICBMs exclusively, and the recent discussions over the Yongbyon reactor complex do indicate that North Korea may be willing to finally curtail its nuclear weapons program. Given that information, this facility would be best described as simply a test facility designed to aid in the development of long range weapons. Claiming that the facility represents a desire to strike at the United States with nuclear arms would appear at this juncture to be premature.
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION
Feel free to discuss the current Image of the Week at the IMINT & Analysis Forum Image of the Week discussion thread found here.
SOURCES
-Overhead imagery provided courtesy of Google Earth
Satellite Finds New North Korean Missile Site
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