[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Has North Korea Started Mass Production of 'Three Tactical Weapon Sets'?

First Appearance of Wheeled Mobile Launcher at Military Parade
More Economical Than Tracked Type for Mass Production

It is analyzed that North Korea has deployed a new set of three short-range missiles in actual combat and has begun mass production. North Korea's new tactical weapon trio refers to the North Korean versions of Iskander (KN-23), ATACMS (KN-24), and the super-large multiple rocket launcher (KN-25).

On the 27th, marking the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War armistice, known as 'Victory Day,' North Korea showcased its latest drones, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and 'nuclear torpedoes' during a military parade in Pyongyang. North Korea concluded the parade with its ICBMs. The latest solid-fueled ICBM, Hwasong-18, was led into the parade by the Missile General Bureau's 2nd Red Flag Battalion.

The highlight of the parade was the 'North Korean version of ATACMS' KN-24, which appeared to have been launched on the 19th. North Korea displayed the KN-24 mounted on a wheeled transporter erector launcher (TEL). This was the first time the wheeled TEL for the KN-24 was revealed. Choosing a wheeled TEL instead of a tracked one reduces production costs, making it less burdensome to produce a large number of launchers.

The KN-24 has undergone test launches twice in August 2019 and once in March 2020. During the 2020 test launch, Chairman Kim Jong-un personally observed the event, indicating the high strategic importance of the weapon. Until then, domestic and international experts had assessed that the development of the KN-24 was not yet complete.

However, the intervals between launches have shortened, and its flight range and altitude capabilities have gradually improved. The KN-24 uses a single-stage solid-fuel propulsion system and, because it employs a wheeled TEL, it can prepare for missile launch faster than missiles using liquid-fuel propulsion. The KN-24 TEL vehicle carries two missiles. At the time, the Rodong Sinmun stated, "The inspection firing test was conducted to selectively inspect the 'tactical guided missiles' currently in production and to verify the accuracy of the weapon system," suggesting that the KN-24 has already entered mass production and operational deployment stages. Experts believe the KN-24 can carry not only conventional warheads but also nuclear warheads.

A military official analyzed, "It should be considered that North Korea has deployed all three short-range ballistic missile types, KN-23 to KN-25, in actual combat," adding, "There must have been significant changes in North Korea's missile operational strategy and tactics."

Like the KN-23, the KN-24 follows a typical ballistic missile parabolic trajectory immediately after launch but performs a 'pull-up maneuver' during the descent phase when it enters below a certain altitude, making it difficult to predict the impact point. This means it is challenging to intercept the KN-24 with anti-missiles that rely on predicting the missile's flight path.

The KN-24 is similar to the tactical surface-to-surface missile ATACMS developed by the U.S. Lockheed Martin and is thus called the 'North Korean version of ATACMS.' The ATACMS missile has enough firepower to devastate an area equivalent to three to four soccer fields with a single missile. It is known that the ATACMS possessed by the South Korean military and U.S. Forces Korea contains 950 submunitions.