North Korea tests submarine-launched cruise missiles — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- North Korea tested two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles on Oct. 14 in waters off its east coast, with state media KCNA reporting the launch on Oct. 15.
- The missile tests aimed to verify navy mission capabilities and war deterrent reliability, with senior military officers observing the launches.
- KCNA said the test had no adverse impact on neighboring countries' security but gave no further details on the missiles or launch method.
- Kim Jong Un has made fielding a modern missile submarine in full operation a top military priority, a capability North Korea is not yet believed to have achieved.
- North Korea has previously test-launched ballistic and cruise missiles from various platforms, including an ageing submarine, as part of its push toward modern missile submarines.
Why it matters: The test advances North Korea's pursuit of a submarine-launched deterrent, which Kim Jong Un has identified as a top military priority. That no country is believed to have seen a modern North Korean missile submarine launch in full operation underscores how far Pyongyang still has to go despite this latest demonstration of incremental progress.
Ask SkimNews
