Chosun Ilbo: DPRK deploys missiles near ROK border
SEOUL, August 4 (Itar-Tass) - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has deployed long-range anti-aircraft missiles near the border with the Republic of Korea (ROK), the newspaper Chosum Ilbo reported on Wednesday referring to military sources. The emergence of those missiles with a range of up to 250 km coincided with the sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan on March 26, the paper said. Seoul blames the sinking on the DPRK.
SA-5 missiles were redeployed to the Demilitarized Zone from Hwanghae Province. That move, in the opinion of military sources, brings about a serious threat to South Korean fighter planes that patrol the border areas. The missiles are capable of shooting down aircraft even in South Korea's hinterland, not to mention the Greater Seoul area.
The use of SA-5 can prevent ROK Air Force, in the event of an emergency, from delivering accurate strikes at strategic targets on the territory of the North, the paper quotes one of the sources. In the event of the activation of the radars of those missiles, South Korean air pilots would have to fly at altitudes below 3,000 metres to avoid detection.
At the end of the1980s, the DPRK purchased 350 SA-5 and 20 missile launchers from the then Soviet Union. These systems that are designed to destroy American strategic bombers were deployed around Pyongyang and Wonsan and in some areas of Hwanghae Province. They shot down targets at 4 Mach speed but were not notable for high accuracy, Chosun Ilbo wrote.
The North Korean army also has available medium- and short-range anti-aircraft missiles of SA-2 and SA-3 types with a range of 45 and 35 km respectively, as well as SA-7 and SA-16 anti-aircraft missile systems, the paper pointed out.
SA-5 missiles were redeployed to the Demilitarized Zone from Hwanghae Province. That move, in the opinion of military sources, brings about a serious threat to South Korean fighter planes that patrol the border areas. The missiles are capable of shooting down aircraft even in South Korea's hinterland, not to mention the Greater Seoul area.
The use of SA-5 can prevent ROK Air Force, in the event of an emergency, from delivering accurate strikes at strategic targets on the territory of the North, the paper quotes one of the sources. In the event of the activation of the radars of those missiles, South Korean air pilots would have to fly at altitudes below 3,000 metres to avoid detection.
At the end of the1980s, the DPRK purchased 350 SA-5 and 20 missile launchers from the then Soviet Union. These systems that are designed to destroy American strategic bombers were deployed around Pyongyang and Wonsan and in some areas of Hwanghae Province. They shot down targets at 4 Mach speed but were not notable for high accuracy, Chosun Ilbo wrote.
The North Korean army also has available medium- and short-range anti-aircraft missiles of SA-2 and SA-3 types with a range of 45 and 35 km respectively, as well as SA-7 and SA-16 anti-aircraft missile systems, the paper pointed out.
