Rodong-1
| Rodong-1 | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 로동1 (northern spelling) 노동1 (southern spelling) |
|---|---|
| Hancha | 蘆洞1 |
| Revised Romanization | Rodong-1 / Nodong-1 |
| McCune–Reischauer | Rodong-1 / Nodong-1 |
The Rodong-1 (spelled Nodong-1 or simply Nodong in South Korea) is a single stage, mobile liquid propellant medium range ballistic missile developed by North Korea. Developed in the mid-1980s, it is an adaptation of the Soviet SS-1, more commonly known by its NATO reporting name "Scud".
Contents
Overview
Rodong (nodong in South Korea) is the Korean word for "labor". It is used in North Korea to denote the working class in Communist ideology, for example in name of the ruling Workers Party (Rodongdang).
It is believed North Korea obtained Scud-B designs from Egypt and possibly Scud-C designs from China, and reverse-engineered them into a larger, longer-distance weapon dubbed the Rodong. U.S. reconnaissance satellites first detected this type in May 1990.[citation needed]
The precise capabilities and specifications of the missile are unknown; even the fact of its production and deployment are controversial. It is a larger variant of the Scud-B, scaled up so its cross-sectional area is about double that of the Scud, with a diameter of 1.25 m and a length of 15.6 m.[2] Its aerodynamic design is stable, so does not require modern guidance systems. It can only be fueled when vertical, so cannot be fueled before transport as is normal for modern missiles.[2] Its range is estimated as 900 km with a 1000 kg payload.[2] It has an estimated CEP of one or two kilometers.[3]
Rodong-1 technology has been exported. Variants are believed to be the basis for Iran's Shahab-3 and Pakistan's Ghauri missiles.
A few Nodong missiles were launched in the 2006 North Korean missile test, and two in a 2014 test over a range of 650 km.[4][5]
The Rodong-1 is one of North Korea's most effective ballistic missiles because it is more difficult to intercept by missile defenses. Although it has an estimated range of 1,000–1,500 km (620–930 mi), launches in March 2014 flew only 650 km (400 mi). Their range was shortened by firing at a higher launch angle, which may enable them to avoid interception. The missiles flew to an altitude of 160 km at Mach 7, while U.S. and South Korean Patriot PAC-2/3 interceptors are more specialized to hit Scud-type missiles up to 40 km high. To counter this, South Korea is indigenously developing the long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM), and the U.S. is considering deploying the THAAD missile defense system.[6]
See also
- Strategic Rocket Forces (North Korea)
- North Korean missile tests
- North Korean defense industry
- Military of North Korea
References
- ↑ BBC News - How potent are North Korea's threats?
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- ↑ NK's March missile test aimed at evading interceptor systems: sources - Yonhapnews.co.kr, 19 June 2014
External links
- CNS report North Korea's Ballistic Missile Capabilities 2006
- Center for Nonproliferation Studies, North Korea's Ballistic Missile Program
- Claremont Institute, MissileThreat.com, No-dong 1
- GlobalSecurity.org, Nodong-1
- National Threat Initiative, Nodong: Overview and Technical Assessment
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Scud missiles and derivatives
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