It looks like one of North Korea’s dirty little secrets may be leaking out.
That’s the freshly discussed possibility that the engines for the country’s devastatingly functional intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) either came from factories in Russia or Ukraine, or at the very least, designs for them did.
In this fascinating clip, PBS host Nick Shifrin discusses with Melissa Hanham of the Middlebury Institute for International Studies and Mike Elleman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies these intriguing possibilities. Each guest believes something slightly different to be the case, but it’s a fact that prior to its recent tests, North Korean missiles had failed just after launch many times, indicating that somehow, new technology was implemented within the last year, and it’s proven to be spectacularly successful.
With the Ukrainian missile plant in question lacking for new orders and full employment for its workers, it’s quite possible that it may be illicitly supplying parts to North Korea. Or, perhaps some of its designers and scientists have spent some time in Pyongyang recently. Whichever the case is, it’s worth our analysts trying to pinpoint the weaknesses of this new engine design in terms of developing effective countermeasures. Watch as Shifrin gets fresh insights into these dangerous weapons.
