Introduction
The Taepo Dong-1 is based off of North Korea’s Nodong missile line that they have developed, first spotted at a North Korean missile test site in 1994 and is believed to be an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile, but details are scarce on its true range and abilities.
The Taepo Dong-1 is based off of North Korea’s Nodong missile line that they have developed, first spotted at a North Korean missile test site in 1994 and is believed to be an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile, but details are scarce on its true range and abilities. In 1998 North Korea attempted to launch a satellite using the Taepo Dong-1 missile but details are sketchy on whether or not this was really a satellite launch or a standard missile test, in its flight the missile Flew over Japan, the second stage of the missile landed in the sea, off the Sanriku coast of Japan, no trace of the satellite was detected. In September 1997 in talks in Berlin North Korea agreed to a moratorium of testing of its long range missiles.
Estimated capabilities of the Taepo Dong-1 based of a pool of current data and government resources available to the public.
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Possible Warheads configurations for the Taepo Dong-1
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Chemical/Biological
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HE “High Explosive”
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Nuclear
General Information
The general shape size and appearance it seems to indicate that the Taepo Dong-1 uses a Nodong missile as a first stage with a smaller Scud-B being the bases for the second stage. The second stage most likely consists of solid motor for final boost and consists of the warhead compartment. Current info on the type of reentry vehicle technology that would be used on the Taepo Dong-1 and Taepo Dong-2 is unknown and whether the North Korean government has the capability to produce a Mirv that could successfully survive reentry is uncertain.
Currently North Korea is working on a Taepo Dong-2 and though no actual flight tests have been conduct of the missile, western intelligence sources have spotted activity at sites that work on the Taepo Dong-2 are believed to be happening at, also there is some rumors that the North Korean government in secret could have tested the Taepo Dong-2 engine at its one test facility, if works continues the north Korean government could soon have a functioning Taepo Dong-2 missile and one deployed soon after that would give North Korea the ability to target targets in Hawaii and targets on the West Coast.
