North Korea has not only made progress in dismantling the facilities used to launch nuclear missiles, but its actions seem to go beyond the obligations agreed upon at a meeting between US President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un. This was reported on the website 38North, which tracks the nuclear activity of North Korea.
DPRK leader Kim Jong-un (left) and U.S. President Donald Trump at a meeting in Singapore, June 12, 2018 Photo: EPA-EFE / kcna
Images from commercial satellites from August 3 show that since the last observation at the Sohe rocket range, further dismantling activities have been ongoing, said 38 North analyst Joseph Bermudez.
According to him, the North Koreans continued to disassemble the stand for testing vertical engines, which was used to test and develop engines for ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles. They also apparently recovered fuel and oxidation tanks from dismantled silos.
Meanwhile, work continues on the rocket launch site. In this case, two-thirds of the western wall and a third of the northern wall were dismantled.
A satellite image dated August 3, 2018 and provided by 38 North, shows key objects being dismantled at the Sohe training ground, the DPRK’s main site for testing rocket engines.
“Although the activity on the launch pad seems to be related to dismantling …, we cannot rule out the possibility that this could be the start of a restructuring project for other uses,” notes 38 North.
“While the dismantling of the vertical engine test bench represents the fulfillment of Chairman Kim’s agreement with President Trump, which was publicly announced during a press conference after the Singapore summit, activities on the launch pad seem to go beyond that commitment.” — reported on the site.
However, these actions should be viewed with caution as “first steps,” since they are not permanent or irreversible, ”38 North said in a statement.
According to Vesti.Ekonomika, a historic meeting between US President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong-un took place on June 12 in Singapore.
According to Kim, at the summit, the leaders of the two countries «decided to leave the past behind.» Trump promised North Korea’s denuclearization will begin «very soon.»
After returning from the summit, the American president said that the DPRK was no longer a nuclear threat and was «the biggest and most dangerous problem for the United States.»
Lockheed Martin received a contract for hypersonic weapons to overcome the missile defense of Russia and China
The military-industrial corporation received a second contract with the US Air Force for $ 480 for the development of a prototype of aircraft-based hypersonic quick-response weapons.
The US Air Force signed a second contract worth no more than $ 480 million with Lockheed Martin under the Missiles & Fire Control system for the development of a prototype hypersonic weapon. According to ZeroHedge, it will move five times faster than the speed of sound to overcome Russian and Chinese missile defense systems.
According to a statement by the US Air Force, the contract will cover the design, testing and support of readiness for the production of aircraft-based quick-response weapons (AARW).
“We’re going to move fast and use the best technology available to get hypersonic capabilities for the US Air Force as soon as possible,” said Air Force Secretary Heather A. Wilson.
The AARW program currently includes work on two prototypes of hypersonic weapons. Projects are implemented under the control of the US Air Force. On April 18, Lockheed received its first contract worth $ 929 million. Money was allocated for the development and production of hypersonic non-nuclear cruise missiles (HCSW), a new air-based weapons system.
According to the release of the parties that announced the contract, as early as June 28, representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the Agency for Missile Defense, the Air Force, the Navy and the army signed a memorandum on joint work on the development of technology for «hypersonic missile gliding weapons.»
“We must push the boundaries of technology and take that height into this era of great power competition and beyond,” said Air Force Chief of Staff General David L. Goldfine.
The US Air Force said the second contract remains an undefined contract to allow Lockheed to begin work immediately. The final price and agreed terms will be agreed later this year.
The second contract indicates that Pentagon officials understand that American exclusivity is waning, while competitors in the US, Russia, and China are implementing more advanced hypersonic national programs, ZeroHedge notes.
