Thread by @JosephHDempsey

#NorthKorea's not so new submarine? [Thread!]

What we long expected was follow on design to the 🇰🇵Gorae ballistic missile submarine (SSB) (left) launched in 2014 what we saw may have been a converted 50's era 🇷🇺Romeo / 🇨🇳Type-033 attack submarine (SSK) (right)

Similarities between #NorthKorea ‘newly built submarine’ and existing Type-033 Romeo SSK

Part #1 The Stern

Similarities between #NorthKorea ‘newly built submarine’ and existing Type-033 Romeo SSK

Part #2 The Bow

#NorthKorea new submarine may be based upon an obsolete Type-033 Romeo but this glimpse indicates we still need to be concerned . . .

These distinct Type-033 Romeo panel lines give a good indication of where the sail would extend to.

#NorthKorea KCTV reveals additional images of new submarine

. . . and there she is in her state media censored glory!

The deck/sail modifications and specific censorship leave little doubt that #NorthKorea has revealed a second ballistic missile submarine (SSB) design

https://twitter.com/JosephHDempsey/status/1153708482798993409

#NorthKorea suspected SSB design (Gorae-C?) [L] has two key advantages over predecessor (Gorae-A/B) [R]:

➡️Based upon Type-033/Romeo SSK - a proven albeit obsolete design with ~20 operational hulls available

➡️Likely capacity to carry multiple ballistic missile launch tubes

The limber holes on top of sail are consistent with those added to previous Gorae-B ( bit.ly/2SwSCgt ) to drain water from SLBM launch tube hatch recess

Given need to censored this large area it would be logical to assume it represents the incomplete or removed aft sail casing used to accommodate additional SLBM tubes

This feels an appropriate way to sign off this thread, at least for today . . .