Total Manpower Strength 46,000
Kongbang-I Kongbang-II
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134757 DPRKNAVYFeb2011, 134757 DPRKNAVYFeb2011, 134757 DPRKNAVYFeb2011, 134757 DPRKNAVYFeb2011, 134757 DPRKNAVYFeb2011
North Korea have been holding exercises to practice seizing the five South Korean ‘West Sea’ islands, the very islands put at risk by this new hovercraft base, according to some reports. In their report, JoongAng Daily wrote: North Korea’s plan is to shell the islands with coastal artillery on a moonless night, render South Korean soldiers at military bases on the islands helpless, then take over the territory with soldiers landing on hovercrafts, the source said. Kongbang ACV (Unknown variant) There are only two pictures of these hovercraft available online, but keen-eyed Google Earth users have found them parked on several occasions, such as the shot below: 30 yds
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Bing Maps 3D has finished updating In 2007, the Chosun Ilbo reported that North Korea had developed a new hovercraft to target South Korean high-speed patrol boats. At 38 m long and 12 m wide, they would be much bigger than the Kongbang-class, but with top speed of 90 km/h (45 knots), they would be far faster. They reportedly have 56 mm and 30 mm machine guns at the head and the stern. In August last year, Arirang TV reported that this new hovercraft had been “caught in a satellite photo off the North’s Daedong River, near the southwestern Nampo City in South Pyeongan Province.” Shin In-kyun, President of the Korea Defence Network, notes: “It could likely transport medium to large-sized armed forces and tanks. And carrying a 30-milimeter cannon at speeds of at least 45 nautical miles per hour it would be able to raid regardless of the geographical features.” There are currently no publicly-available images of, or further information on this new design; but its development, the construction of the base at Koanpo and the December exercises all demonstrate the Korean People’s Army’s clear move towards expanding its strategic options along the Yellow Sea. With the Yeonpyeong artillery attack so fresh in Seoul’s mind, it should be unsettled by this development and extra effort should be made to develop counter-incursion strategies to defend against the threat this increasing capability poses. ----
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