Fellow at @FPRI. Rocket propulsion and radiological security (usually not at the same time). Opinions my own. Faves/RTs ≠ endorsements
Monterey, CA
Joined August 2015
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Unless they launched two missiles and one failed, it looks like North Korea is borrowing from the Russian toolbox for their cruise missile's submarine launch method.
One problem with launching a cruise missile from underwater is preventing water from getting in the jet engine.
When designing the SS-N-21 Sampson in the 1970s, the Soviets decided to place the submarine-launched missile inside of a sealed tube. The missile is launched out of the submarine in this tube. When it breaches the surface, the missile launches out of the tube.
This is a reminder that friends don't let friends read Annie Jacobsen books.
She is a crank. For almost any book she has written, someone else has done it better. Even her good work, such that it exists, is tainted by the bad.
Indeed, given Iranian efforts to reconstitute their missile force during the ceasefire, this seems like a limited effort on their part.
This is, I think, very much a mock-up. And a conceptual mock-up, at that. This is not the actual missile they plan to build - this is the idea of the missile they want to build.
There are many things that don't match up with an actual missile.
🔴Milli Savunma Bakanlığı:
“YILDIRIMHAN füze sisteminde kullanılan Asimetrik Dimetilhidrazin (UDMH) ve azot tetra oksit türevi sıvı yakıtlar ARGE merkezimiz tarafından yerli imkânlarla üretilmektedir.
Söz konusu yakıt teknolojisi; uzun süre depolanabilme, düşük sıcaklıklarda çalışabilme ve yüksek enerji üretme özellikleri sayesinde füze sistemlerine yüksek hareket kabiliyeti kazandırmaktadır.
3 ton harp başlığı taşıma kapasitesine sahip, YILDIRIMHAN Füze sistemine yönelik laboratuvar test süreçleri başarıyla tamamlanmış olup saha testlerine ilişkin çalışmalar planlanan takvim doğrultusunda sürdürülmektedir.
Bakanlığımız, millî teknoloji hamlesi kapsamında savunma sanayiimizin gelişimini desteklemeye, yerli ve millî sistemler geliştirmeye ve Türkiye’nin stratejik caydırıcılık kapasitesini artırmaya kararlılıkla devam edecektir.”
The problem is... where are the manifolds for propellant to enter/exit the cooling channels? I can see manifolds on the thrust chamber in the foreground here, but not on the others.
I realize a lower manifold isn't strictly required, but I don't see ports for an upper manifold.
Michael Duitsman retweeted
(LEAD) N. Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles toward East Sea: JCS en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN2026041…
Finally, something normal and calming.
(URGENT) N. Korea fires unidentified projectile toward East Sea: JCS en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN2026032…
Some of those detonations in this video spread debris that looks consistent with burning solid propellant (i.e. from a missile). I haven't been able to geolocate this video yet, so I don't know what base this strike hit.
I don't think this video shows either of the Isfahan missile bases on fire. I won't give a precise geolocation for the safety of the videographer.
It's entirely possible that more targets were struck in Isfahan tonight, but neither of the sites shown in this particular video are known missile bases.