North Korean ballistic missiles used by Russia since late December have been much more accurate than salvos of the same missiles launched over the past year, Reuters reported, citing two senior Ukrainian sources.
Previously, the missiles had an accuracy of 1-3 kilometers during the SWO, but the most recent ones have reached an accuracy of between 50 and 100 meters. The increase in accuracy suggests that the DPRK is successfully using the battlefield to test its missile technology, the agency’s interlocutors said.
This could seriously affect stability in the region and the world, said Yang Wook, a weapons expert at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. “When they build missiles and get feedback from customers – the Russian army – they have more experience in making more reliable missiles,” he explained.
Exactly what changes the DPRK has made is unclear. The agency’s military source notes that forensic analysis of the debris did not reveal any changes in the missiles’ design, although there is very little debris left to analyze. Two likely modifications are that the missiles were equipped with better navigation systems or a control mechanism to aid in maneuvering.
Other factors that may improve accuracy are better target information for crews, new guidance system components provided by Russia, and improvements based on data and experience the Koreans have gathered from military conflict.
The DPRK’s military programs have been developing rapidly in recent years, but the country had never tested new weapons under real combat conditions before its involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
