[Llarry]

How about a Navy thread? We've got some Navy veterans and retirees here who hopefully can contribute to this thread.

I'd like to start on a serious note: Korea. I hope the world is not taking its eye off the North Korea ball. There are plenty of troubles here and there around the world but few risk disaster as much as the North Korean regime -- and their Navy, I believe, is destined to play an important role in their future plans.

At the risk of dabbling in politics, let me say that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is pretty much none of those things: Not democratic, not for the benefit of the people and not a republic. It is closer to an autocratic monarchy; often described as the Kim Family Regime. I'll just call it North Korea or NK.

In the conventional sense, the NK Navy is pathetic, with mostly Soviet and Chinese Communist ship types that are many decades old. Some of the ship types date to pre-WW2. That said, there is something to be said for numbers, e.g., enough people with pitchforks can ultimately overwhelm an armed opponent. Fortunately, NK does not really have the numbers either, making them a third-rate Navy in almost all respects. The first four photos reflect that status.

The problem that remains is that NK has figured out that the optimum strategic weapon is a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), and they have devoted considerable effort to developing that capability. The submarine that they have chosen to use to launch these missiles is apparently the Romeo-class Diesel-electric submarine, a Soviet design dating to the 1950s and built in large numbers in China. Information is difficult to come by, as the NK regime is among the most opaque in the world; I hope that the attached diagram of a modified Romeo is accurate, as it indicates the NKs have deleted half the battery capacity of the boat, severely limiting stealthy submerged operations. They have also test-fired a SLBM, although I do not know whether the test-firings have been from submarines or perhaps submerged test barges.

Of course, the modified Romeo may just be the initial effort -- I'm sure they'd like something with greater capabilities, but NK has few friends in the world and I think even the Chinese are guarded in what technology they will share with the Kim family regime.

Next I'd like to take a look at the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN); the South Koreans are building a world-class modern Navy and that should be a fuller post.