North Korea to build new launch site to push its nuclear ballistic missile programs 0212132

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Defence & Security News - North Korea

 
 
Monday, December 2, 2013 10:55 AM
 
North Korea to build new launch site to push its nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile programs.
North Korea has resumed construction work on a missile launch site on its northeast coast after a months-long hiatus, part of a renewed push for its nuclear and missile programmes, according to a US think-tank. Recent satellite imagery shows work has resumed on new facilities at the North's Tonghae launch site, the US-Korea Institute of Johns Hopkins University posted on its 38 North website.
     
North Korea has resumed construction work on a missile launch site on its northeast coast after a months-long hiatus, part of a renewed push for its nuclear and missile programmes, according to a US think-tank. Recent satellite imagery shows work has resumed on new facilities at the North's Tonghae launch site, the US-Korea Institute of Johns Hopkins University posted on its 38 North website.
This combination of satellite images taken by Astrium on Nov. 18, 2013, left, and Sept. 16, 2013, and annotated and distributed by 38 North shows what appears to be a rocket assembly building and launch control center at the Tonghae site, located on North Korea's northeast coast.
(Astrium - 38 North)
     

The facilities appear designed to test future generations of larger, more capable rockets, it said.

The restart of work at Tonghgae indicates that North Korea is still committed to maintaining two launch sites along with the Sohae site on the west coast.

The US-Korea Institute said in October that North Korea has undertaken major construction work at Sohae, possibly to cater to larger and more mobile weapons.

The US-Korea Institute said in early November that the North was making progress on an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a first-generation nuclear warhead to the continental United States.

Missile delivery has often been cited as the main weakness of the North's nuclear weapons programme which, after three tests, is believed to be close to mastering the key technology of warhead miniaturisation.