Original analysis: alternative suggestions welcome

Recent TV footage from North Korea’s suggests that the country’s sole Sinpo Class ballistic missile submarine (SSB) has relocated from the quayside at the factory where it was built, to an isolated peer at a submarine base. Analysis suggests that the new base is the major submarine base on the island of Mayang-do.

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Mayang-do is one of two major submarine bases along the East Coast of North Korea (the other being Ch'aho-nodongjagu) and is near to Sinpo where the submarine was built. This is the first evidence of the submarine venturing away from its builder’s quay and may indicate a shift in operational testing.

These images are harder to locate. Note that the boat is moored on the opposite side to the above images.

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Original artwork - CLICK for HIGH-RESOLUTION image.

The Sinpo Class is North Korea’s first ballistic missile submarine and the largest submarine ever built in the country. It is however very small for a ballistic missile boat and can only carry a single missile tube which is located below the sail. The NK-11 “북극성-1” (Pukgeukseong-1 = 'North Star-1' = 'Polaris-1') missile is a clone of the Soviet era R-27 missile and is consequently likely to be much sorter ranged than submarine launched ballistic missiles used by most other nuclear powers.

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Main article: North Korean SSBN program - Sinpo Class