Israel Matzav

Report: North Korea tested a 5,000 km range missile engine the day before its nuke test

Russia Today reports that the day before its nuclear test last week, North Korea tested an engine for a missile with a 5,000 kilometer range.

An engine firing test for the KN-08 missile took place at the Dongchang-ri launch site in North Pyongan province last Monday, Yonhap reported. The new engine will extend the range of the KN-08 to 5,000 kilometers.

"If the North decides the test successful, it is expected to operationally deploy the new long-range rocket," an anonymous South Korean government source told Yonhap.

In March 2012, North Korea deployed six mobile ballistic missile complexes to celebrate the 100th birthday of Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea and grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-un, and showcased the arms in a military parade.

At the time, the US roundly criticized China for allegedly exporting the missile transporters to Pyongyang. The White House accused Beijing of delivering to North Korea in 2011 the “largest self-propelled overload special off-road transporter in China,” in defiance of a UN ban on such military sales; China denied the allegations.

The latest test-fire of the KN-08’s upgraded engine was carried out openly, Yonhap news agency’s source said, as North Koreans are well aware that their moves are being closely monitored by US spy satellites.

“The engine test right before its third nuclear test would be intended to intensify its threat to the US and its allies [South Korea and Japan],” Yonhap’s source explained.

The United States isn't the only country closely watching North Korea's missile tests. So is Israel's Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, who says that North Korea's activities prove that sanctions alone don't work and won't stop Iran.

Speaking at a meeting of the Jewish Agency's Board of Governors in Jerusalem, Netanyahu stated that "sanctions need to be coupled with a robust, credible military threat. Only then will we have a chance to stop it."

Netanyahu charged that "Iran does not conceal its desire to destroy the Jewish state, and also to threaten the rest of the world."

He stated that a nuclear-armed Iran would turn the Middle East into a "nuclear tinderbox."

" I believe that stopping Iran is the number one task of anyone seeking peace and security in the world," the prime minister added. He stated that he had agreed with US President Barack Obama that Iran would be "topic number one" discussed by the leaders when Obama visits Israel next month.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Iranian nuclear threat, North Korea

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:35 PM