May 17, 2008

Missilethreat.com

The greatest strategic threat to the United States is an attack by one or more ballistic missiles armed with nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction. Today, the United States remains completely vulnerable to this form of attack.

Missilethreat.com is dedicated to explaining this threat, and the urgent need for robust and layered missile defenses. Systems based on land, sea, air, and in space which are capable of intercepting a missile during any phase of its flight are necessary to provide for the common defense.

Home :: Missiles of the World

Print This

Scud D variant

Country:  North Korea
Alternate Name:  Hwasong 7
Class:  SRBM
Basing:  Road mobile
Length:  13.50 m
Diameter:  0.88 m
Launch Weight:  6400 kg
Payload:  Single warhead, 500 kg
Warhead:  Chemical, HE, submunitions
Propulsion:  Single-stage liquid
Range:  700 km
Status:  Operational
In Service:  1994

Details

The North Korean variants of the Russian ‘Scud C’ and ‘Scud D’ are short-range, road mobile, liquid propellant ballistic missiles. These systems represent a substantial improvement upon the earlier variants. Using these missiles North Korea can hit all of the targets in South Korea critical to a Communist invasion. With an accuracy of only 3 km CEP, the missile is designed simply to be targeted at the middle of urban centers. Though it is doubtful that North Korea would equip a ‘Scud’ with a nuclear warhead, the design is such that it is easily possible.

 

The ‘Scud D’ missile system is essentially a North Korean ‘Scud C’ with decreased payload in favor of increased range. The overall range in the ‘Scud D’ is increased to 700 km (434 miles) while the payload is decreased to 500 kg. North Korean engineers did this by enlarging the fuel and oxidant tanks along with a slight enlargement of the missile fuselage. These missiles were mostly made for export to Middle Eastern nations and are still in widespread use today.

 

The ‘Scud D’ variant is 13.5 m in length, 0.88 m in diameter, and has a launch weight of 6,400 kg. Its payload has a 500 kg capacity. The single warhead can be chemical, HE or sub-munitions. It has a range of 700 km (435 miles) from its single-stage liquid propellant engine, with an accuracy of 3,000 m CEP.

 

The development of the ‘Scud D’ variant is believed to have began in 1991 with the first flight test occurring in 1993, though the similarity to the ‘Scud C’ system makes confirmation impossible. North Korean production could have started as early as 1994, though the extent of internal production is unknown. The ‘Scud D’ was exported to Syria and it is believed that Syria converted its ‘Scud C’ variant production facility to produce ‘Scud D’ variants and is building between 15 and 30 per year.  The 'Scud D' was flight tested in Syria in 2005. (1)

 

 

Footnotes

 

  1. Duncan Lennox, Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems 46 (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, January 2007), 95-96.

Home :: Missiles of the World

 

Powered by eResources.com