Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Musudan-ri Launch Pad

Lots of news has come up about Musudan-ri. This is where North Korea will test out it's new Taep'o-dong-2C missile. Musudan-ri is a pretty simple. It has multiple facilities (Which you can see here: http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/dprk/no_dong-imagery.htm), and it covers about 2 kilometers. It has a missiles assembly/checkout building, a missile control building, and a test pad. Musudan-ri has been the launch pad for many of North Korea's missile tests (And has made the US wet its pants numerous times) and is VERY isolated. No paved roads lead to it and it is nowhere near a railroad. Analysts who have seen the satellite photos think that it's just a small base that is never frequently visited and used. It's located on the East Coast and was completed in 1998. It has already tested out the Nodong-1, Taep'o-dong-1, and is now preparing for the Taep'o-dong-2. In November 2002 an explosion occured at Musudan-ri. The accident has likely led to damage in North Korea's missile program, but in 2005 Musudan-ri was up and running, and there has been an increase in facilities and housing.

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