The Pukguksong-2 is an enlarged, two-stage, extended-range development of the
Pukguksong-1, a
submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). It uses a
solid fuel engine, allowing them to verify a "feature of evading interception". Based from images, the missile is judged to be long and wide. The missile is canister-launched from its enclosed transport container. It uses a '
cold-launching' system, which starts using compressed gas, followed by the engine igniting in mid-flight. The container is a smooth cylinder inside, without rails, and on launch a series of slipper blocks could be seen to fall away from the missile. These act as bearings while the missile is projected through the close-fitting tube, a system first seen with the US
Peacekeeper. A series of
grid fins are deployed at the base of the missile to provide aerodynamic stability during flight. The
transporter erector launcher (TEL) is a new design, conceptually similar to the Russian 2P19 TEL of the R-17M Elbrus SS-1
Scud-B; fully tracked and claimed to be of indigenous North Korean manufacture, rather than previous Chinese wheeled launchers, derivatives of the ubiquitous
MAZ-543 design. Pukguksong-2 is equipped with an
inertial navigation system (INS) and mid-course guidance, allowing the missile to follow a pre-programmed trajectory to the target. Analysts have described Pukguksong-2 as 'more stable, more efficient, and harder to detect' than North Korea's
earlier designs. The missile is a
solid-fuel rocket and may be launched in minutes. Previous designs are liquid fuelled are more vulnerable to counterattack as their launch preparations take hours. Its operational range is typically estimated at between and is probably intended to replace medium-range missiles like the
Hwasong-7 (Rodong-1) and
Hwasong-9 (Scud-ER), potentially by the early 2020s depending on rate of manufacture. One unusual feature is the ability of the missile to take images of the ground from near its apogee and transmit them to a receiving station. Continuing to gather imaging data as it enters the atmosphere may be useful for precisely guiding a manoeuvring reentry vehicle, although the Pukguksong-2 has not yet been tested with one. ==History==