The modern North Korean Army maintains a considerable stash of artillery systems - both towed and self-propelled. Part of this inventory includes self-propelled rocket-projecting vehicles - or Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRSs) - with ever-increasing range and ballistic capabilities. Among the group available to the Army service is the "KN-09". Believed to have been designed and developed around 2014 or earlier, the KN-09 was introduced for service in 2016. It is thought to be based / influenced on the Soviet-Russian BM-30 "Smerch" series of vehicles (detailed elsewhere on this site).
At the heart of the KN-09 system is an eight-tube launcher component fielding 300mm (12") battlefield surface-to-surface rockets. These rockets have a suspected maximum range between 100 and 200 kilometers and can mount various warheads (including chemical, incendiary and mines) beyond the typical HE-FRAG (High-Explosive, FRAGmentation) type. The eight rockets arrive as two four-shot units and can be reloaded as an entire four-shot pod allowing the system to fire subsequent rocket loads in short order. Setup time is minimal as is reloading the ammunition. Reloads are dependent on accompanying resupply vehicles.
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FIRE SUPPORT / ASSAULT / BREACHING
Support allied forces through direct / in-direct fire, assault forward positions, and / or breach fortified areas of the battlefield.
SPECIAL PURPOSE
Special purpose design developed to accomplish an equally-special battlefield role or roles.
39.4 ft (12 meters) Length
9.8 ft (3 meters) Width
9.8 ft (3 meters) Height
87,083 lb (39,500 kg) Weight
43.5 tons (Medium-class) Tonnage
1 x V-12 diesel-fueled engine developing 500 horsepower (estimated). Drive System
37 mph (60 kph) Road Speed
528 miles (850 km) Road Range
8 x 300mm surface-to-surface battlefield rockets (two pods of four rockets each).
AMMUNITION
8 x 300mm rockets; reloads dependent upon accompanying resupply vehicle.
KN-09 - Base Series Designation.
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