The nuclear threat from North Korea looks greater than ever before.
« There’s a lot going on. It’s not looking good, » said David Schmerler, research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.
Schmerler is part of a team that analyzes pictures from Google Earth and private satellite imaging firm Planet Labs over time, using propaganda videos and other sources to tip them off on where and how to scrutinize most closely.
In his analysis of several North Korean missile development and launch areas, Schmerler has in recent weeks identified a new missile facility that he said is « significantly larger » than comparable facilities in the country.
Footage from a North Korean network showed dictator Kim Jong-un inspecting a large satellite launch vehicle at the building last February, Schmerler said, and his research put the building at Sanum-dong in the northern part of the capital, Pyongyang.
Details on the structure have previously not been released.
Satellite launch vehicles — big rockets, essentially — are not weapons, but their development shows how quickly North Korea’s ballistics technology has advanced. Tests the projectiles can provide valuable data for further weapons development.
« The reality is that if North Korea doesn’t test those missiles, its program doesn’t advance. One thing the U. S. has to think about is, how do you prevent them from testing? » said Bruce Bennett, senior defense analyst at research organization Rand Corp.
The findings come as North Korea held two nuclear tests in 2016 and has greatly advanced its technological capabilities .
The northeast Asian nation has conducted more than 20 missile tests, fired missiles from submarines, tested a rocket nose cone for its ability to withstand the heat of re-entry, and claimed its first hydrogen bomb test — all in the last year.
