North Korean missiles ‘used Russian parts’ amid expert warnings of nuclear threat
NORTH Korea could have sourced key components for a deadly missile from Russia or Ukraine, a top US defence expert has alleged.
By FRASER MOOR
Express.co.uk
Sat, Jun 3, 2017
Michael Elleman, senior follow for missile defense at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), said the engine for an Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) – a precursor to a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) – may have been purchased from the former Soviet bloc.
Describing the situation as a “big deal”, Mr Elleman said: “It’s highly unlikely that it was indigenously designed, developed and produced.
“My working hypothesis at this point, given the performance of the engine, its appearance, it likely is derived from an old Russian engine called the RD-250.
“What is important here is it comes from a different manufacturer than all the other engines that we’ve seen, and missiles we’ve seen, used in North Korea.
“We could be in for surprises in the future. It’s very difficult to bound their capabilities and what might occur in the future, because we don’t know if they have access to new and improved engines.”
Pyongyang shocked the world earlier this month after it launched a Hwasong 12 missile, indicating the hermit state has taken large strides in its quest to develop an ICBM.
Officials from the North said the missile flew just over 1,300 miles (2,100 km), making it more than capable of striking a target such as the Japanese capital of Tokyo.
Senior US defence figures have expressed concern over the progress of nuke-obsessed tyrant Kim Jong-un’s nuclear programme.
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