North Korean state media announced the country’s first operational “tactical nuclear attack submarine” is operational and has been assigned to the fleet that patrols the waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan.
At the submarine’s launch ceremony on Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that the vessel—named Hero Kim Kun Ok after a North Korean historical figure—will be one of the main “underwater offensive means of the naval force.”
Analysts said “Submarine No. 841” appears to be a modified Soviet-era Romeo-class submarine, which North Korea acquired from China in the 1970s and began producing domestically. Its design, with 10 launch tube hatches, showed it was most likely armed with ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, analysts said.
Vann Van Diepen, a former U.S. government weapons expert who works with the 38 North project in Washington, explained that the aging submarines used as the basis of the new design have a fairly limited range and are relatively noisy and slow compared to modern designs.
“When this thing is field deployed, it’s going to be quite vulnerable to allied anti-submarine warfare,” he stated.
Shin Seung-ki, research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), appeared less confident and warned that South Korea and the United States cannot guarantee being able to detect and destroy submerged submarines.
He warned that North Korea has “significantly expanded and strengthened the operational capabilities of its naval forces” compared to the past.
South Korea’s military commented that the submarine didn’t appear ready for normal operations, saying it saw signs North Korea was attempting to exaggerate its capabilities.
At the launch ceremony, Mr. Kim said arming the navy with nuclear weapons was an urgent task and promised more underwater and surface vessels equipped with tactical nuclear weapons for the naval forces, news agency KCNA reported.
“The submarine-launching ceremony heralded the beginning of a new chapter for bolstering up the naval force of the DPRK,” KCNA said, referencing North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Mr. Kim said that other existing submarines would also be modified to carry nuclear weapons, and efforts to build nuclear-powered submarines would be accelerated.
“Achieving a rapid development of our naval forces … is a priority that cannot be delayed given … the enemies’ recent aggressive moves and military acts,” the North Korean leader said in a speech, apparently referring to recent joint military drills by the United States, South Korea, and Japan, and previous military exercises.
North Korea currently has about 20 Romeo-class submarines, which come standard powered by diesel-electric engines and are considered obsolete by modern standards, with most other countries operating them only as training vessels.
Nuclear Attack Submarine
The designation of the vessel as a “tactical” submarine suggests it does not carry long-range missiles capable of reaching the United States, but rather smaller, short-range cruise missiles capable of striking South Korea, Japan, and other regional targets, according to Choi Il, a retired South Korean submarine captain.
However, in KCNA’s photos, four large and six small vertical launch tubes can be seen, indicating that the submarine houses both cruise missiles and long-range missiles.
It is unclear whether North Korea has indeed completed the development of the miniaturized nuclear warheads needed for submarine missiles. But analysts are affirmative that perfecting smaller nuclear warheads would most likely be a priority of the country’s nuclear development program.
The launching ceremony comes as North Korea is set to mark the 75th anniversary of its founding day on Saturday and follows reports that Mr. Kim plans to travel to Russia this month to meet President Vladimir Putin to discuss weapons supplies to Moscow.
The launch of the submarine drew condemnation from both South Korea and Japan.
“North Korea’s military activity is posing graver and more imminent threat to our country’s security than before,” Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said.
One day after the ceremony, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Jakarta, where he asked Beijing to do more as a U.N. Security Council member to address North Korea’s nuclear threat.
Reuters contributed to this report.