Kim Jong-un Displays 'New-Type Multiple Launch Rocket System'... Supplying Russian Battlefield?

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, has showcased the performance of the 'renewed' 240mm multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) equipped with a new guidance system. There is also speculation about the possibility of supplying weapons to the Russian battlefield.

According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 28th, Chairman Kim observed the inspection test firing of the 240mm MLRS weapon system produced at the defense industry enterprise under the Second Economic Committee the previous day. The agency described the MLRS as having undergone a "technological renewal in mobility and strike concentration." North Korea claims that the test firing proved the superiority of all indicators, including the newly introduced guidance system, maneuverability, and destructive power.

North Korea's Kim Jong-un Observes Inspection Test Firing of 'Upgraded' 240mm Multiple Rocket Launcher [Image Source=Yonhap News]

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Accompanying Chairman Kim during the on-site guidance were senior officials including Pak Jong-chon, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Military Commission; Jo Chun-ryong, Secretary of the Party Central Committee; Ri Yong-gil, Chief of the General Staff; Kim Jong-sik, First Deputy Director of the Party Central Committee; and Kim Yong-hwan, Director of the National Defense Science Institute.

North Korea's 240mm MLRS corresponds to the long-range artillery targeting the Seoul metropolitan area in South Korea. It is a weapon system frequently mentioned whenever the North threatens a "firestorm over the Seoul metropolitan area." Photos of the test firing released by North Korean media show that, unlike the existing 240mm MLRS, the tail section features identifiable control fins.

In February, North Korea announced that the National Defense Science Institute had developed a new 240mm rocket projectile equipped with guidance capabilities, and in May, it revealed the introduction of an "automatic firing integrated command system" to the renewed MLRS, which boasts enhanced mobility and firepower concentration. The plan is to replace and deploy these systems to frontline units by 2026.

North Korea's Kim Jong-un Observes Inspection Test Firing of 'Updated' 240mm Multiple Rocket Launcher [Image Source=Yonhap News]

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While demonstrating the performance of the new 240mm MLRS, North Korea appears to have disclosed the test firing process observed by Chairman Kim with the possibility of supplying the weapons to the Russian battlefield in mind. It has already been confirmed that North Korea supplied 122mm MLRS to Russia's frontlines in Ukraine, and there is speculation that 240mm systems may also be supplied.

Hong Min, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, analyzed, "The existing MLRS were produced in the 1980s and are outdated. The new model improves accuracy with guidance functions and extends range with control fins."

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "Our military detected and tracked North Korea's MLRS launched into the West Sea yesterday morning," adding, "We are closely monitoring signs of North Korean provocations and military activities."

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