North Korea has released video footage of Kim Jong Un watching the May 9 submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test on the Korean Central Television (KCTV) channel today.
The footage is taken from a similar vantage point as the photos released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) after the launch.The video, which is less than two minutes long, shows the North Korean leader watching a submarine from a nearby boat through a pair of binoculars.
Before the launch, what looks to be a submarine conning tower is shown. Some North Korea watchers have theorized the launch did not take place from a submarine, but from a nearby submerged barge.
“While this footage does show a Sinpo-class submarine underway at sea, it does not confirm that the submarine itself performed the launch since the video cuts between footage of the submarine and footage of the launch. It still may be possible that a dedicated submerged launch platform was used,” NK News military analyst John Grisafi said.
The footage then shows the missile launching from below the surface of the water.
The video is the second footage of the missile test released by the DPRK. The first video released on May 26 however used footage U.S. Trident SLBM.
“This video appears to be more authentic than the previous one, which is confirmed to have at least some borrowed footage. It is more consistent with earlier photographs in that the missile is clearly launched from a fully submerged platform or vessel,” Grisafi added.
However the North Korean leader is not shown in the same shot as the missile launching, with the camera cutting between the two.
The ability to launch missiles from submarines is strategically important, as it both extends the range of North Korea’s missiles and makes it more difficult to track their locations and predict launches.
North Korea is currently under UN sanctions preventing it from developing ballistic missile technology. – NK News
