Pukkuksong-2

Design

The Pukkuksong-2 is an enlarged, two stage development of the Pukkuksong-1, a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). The missile is canister launched from its enclosed transport container. It uses a 'cold-launching' system, which starts using compressed gas, followed by the engine igniting in mid-flight.^[6] The container is a smooth cylinder inside, without rails, and on launch a series of slipper blocks could be seen to fall away from the missile. These act as bearings while the missile is projected through the close-fitting tube, a system first seen with the US Peacekeeper. A series of grid fins are deployed at the base of the missile to provide aerodynamic stability during flight. The transporter erector launcher (TEL) is a new design, conceptually similar to the Russian 2P19 TEL of the R-17M Elbrus SS-1 Scud-B; fully tracked and claimed to be of indigenous Korean manufacture, rather than previous Chinese wheeled launchers, derivatives of the ubiquitous MAZ-543 design.^[7]

On its first test flight it flew 500 km (310 miles) on a deliberately inefficient trajectory.^[2] Its operational range is variously estimated at between 1,200 km (750 miles)^[2] and 3,000 km (1,900 miles).^[4]