<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57c041aeb996eb7a018b4a39-2400/ap_16238100272573.jpg" alt="sk" data-mce-source="AP" data-mce-caption="A South Korean army soldier watches a TV news program showing images published Thursday in North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper of North Korea's ballistic missile believed to have been launched from underwater and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at Seoul Railway station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016." /><p class="source"><span>AP</span></p><p class="caption">A South Korean army soldier watches a TV news program showing images published Thursday in North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper of North Korea's ballistic missile believed to have been launched from underwater and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at Seoul Railway station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div>WASHINGTON, DC - Critics of Seoul and Washington's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/south-korea-revealed-thaad-location-2016-7">decision to</a> deploy America's most advanced missile-defense system to South Korea are pointing to North Korea's latest submarine-launched ballistic-missile (SLBM) test as retaliation.</p><p>In order to counter North Korean threats, such as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-submarine-ballistic-missile-test-2016-8" target="_blank">Wednesday's launch</a> of a presumed KN-11 missile, a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/thaad-missile-defense-south-korea-north-2016" target="_blank">Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)</a> battery is expected to be operational in South Korea by the end of 2017. </p><p>Earlier this month, China - Pyongyang's closest ally - said that since the US agreed to equip South Korea with the unique <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">defense</keyword> system, the North's missile tests have <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/thaad-north-korea-missile-test-japan-2016-8">expanded</a> and are poised to increase.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57c042e209d29326008b4a44-1021/3._th_launcher.jpg" alt="thaad launcher" data-mce-source="Missile Defense Agency" /><p class="source"><span>Missile Defense Agency</span></p><p class="caption">A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) launcher.</p></div><p></p></div></div>"We're not going to predict the future but we would welcome steps by North Korea to ease tensions and to not take these kinds of provocative actions," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told Business Insider during a press briefing.</p><p>"We would certainly hope that we don't have to expand and take additional steps. But the reality is what it is, and we are taking the steps that allies should take to try and coordinate and work closely together to try and address the threat that we see right now from North Korea."</p><p>Pressure to deploy THAAD to the region was spurred after Pyongyang tested its fourth <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-earthquake-detected-in-north-korea-not-clear-if-nuke-test-2016-1">nuclear bomb</a> on January 6 and then launched a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-has-fired-a-long-range-rocket-2016-2">long-range rocket</a> on February 7. </p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/america-answer-north-korean-threats-south-korea-thaad-defense-missile-bomb-lockheed-martin-2016-2">Meet THAAD: America's answer to North Korean threats</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="9wOHVyMDE6hAGvGg83idQrRdjT0_QzVs" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '9wOHVyMDE6hAGvGg83idQrRdjT0_QzVs',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Pentagon: The THAAD deployment to South Korea is only the first step if North Korea doesn't behave

<p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57bcc7f7ce38f2db088b8787-810/north-korea-missile-test.jpg" alt="north korea missile tests" data-mce-source="KCNA" data-mce-caption="File photo of a North Korean missile test from KCNA." /><p class="source"><span>KCNA</span></p><p class="caption">A KCNA photo of a North Korean missile test.</p></div><p></p></div></div>The defiant ballistic-missile tests from the Hermit Kingdom continue.</span></p><p>On Wednesday at approximately 5:30 a.m. local time, North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) near the coastal city of Sinpo.</p><p><span>US <span>Strategic Command (</span><span>STRATCOM) detected and tracked the presumed KN-11 missile over the Sea of Japan.</span></span></p><p><span><span>"The North American Aerospace <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">Defense</keyword> Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America," STRATCOM said in a statement.</span></span></p><p><span><span>This is the first time a North Korean missile reached Japan's </span></span><span><span><span>air defence identification zone (ADIZ), Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said during a briefing.</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57bd9583ce38f231008b8870-2400/ap_16237023301772.jpg" alt="nk launch" data-mce-source="AP" data-mce-caption="People watch a TV news program showing a file footage of North Korea's ballistic missile that the North claimed to have launched from underwater, at Seoul Railway station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016." /><p class="source"><span>AP</span></p><p class="caption">People watch a TV news program showing a file footage of North Korea's ballistic missile that the North claimed to have launched from underwater, at Seoul Railway station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></span></span>According to Jeffrey Lewis of the California-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies and founder of <a href="http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/" target="_blank">Arms Control Wonk</a>, the rogue nation's latest test appears to be a success.</p><p>"We don't know the full range, but 500 km is either full range or a full range on a lofted trajectory. Either way, that missile works," Lewis told Reuters. </p><p><span>The North first attempted a submarine-based missile launch last year and </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/south-korea-says-north-korea-fired-a-submarine-launched-missile-2016-4">again at the end of April</a><span> this year. A South Korean military official told Reuters that North Korea's </span><span><span>"SLBM technology appears to have progressed."</span></span></p><p><span>South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch appears to be an apparent protest against the annual</span><span> </span><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/08/22/490921432/u-s-south-korea-war-games-begin-despite-threats-from-north-korea" target="_blank">Ulchi Freedom Guardian</a><span> </span><span>military drill </span><span>between Seoul and Washington.</span></p><p>Earlier this month, Pyongyang <span>simultaneously <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-ballistic-missiles-test-japan-2016-8">launched two "No Dong" intermediate-range ballistic missiles</a> near the western city of Hwangju.</span></p><p><span><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57bcd126db5ce952008b868e-970/norte.jpg" alt="norte" data-mce-source="Reuters" data-mce-caption="North Korea's first missile that landed in or near Japanese-controlled waters." /><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">North Korea's first missile that landed in or near Japanese-controlled waters.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></span><span><span><span>According to </span><span>STRATCOM, one of the missiles exploded immediately after launch, while the other was tracked over North Korea before ultimately landing in the Sea of Japan. Notably, that was the first time that the rogue nation had ever targeted Japan.</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described the launch as a "grave threat" to Japan and said that Tokyo "strongly protested." Japan also said that its self-defense force would remain on alert in case of further defiant launches from the North.</span></span></span></p><p>According to Oh Joon, South Korea's UN ambassador, North Korea has conducted 13 rounds of ballistic-missile tests and has fired 29 various rockets.</p><p>Meanwhile, China, Pyongyang's closest ally, said that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/thaad-north-korea-missile-test-japan-2016-8">North Korean missile tests have expanded</a> since the bilateral decision between Seoul and Washington to deploy THAAD.</p><h2><span>Mad about THAAD</span></h2><p><span><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5480b80becad0428370964e1-1105/thaad.gif" alt="thaad missile GIF" data-mce-source="USMDA/Amanda Macias/Business Insider" data-mce-caption="This is THAAD." data-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAIS3HUdJ8M" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAIS3HUdJ8M">USMDA/Amanda Macias/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">This is THAAD.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></span></p><p>In July, the South Korean defense ministry <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/south-korea-revealed-thaad-location-2016-7">announced</a> that the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/thaad-missile-defense-south-korea-north-2016" target="_blank">Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)</a> missile-defense system would be deployed to Seongju in order to counter North Korean threats.</p><p>Following that announcement, the Hermit Kingdom <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-is-acting-up-and-it-has-its-eye-on-all-of-south-korea-2016-7">fired three ballistic missiles</a> that had a range - between 300 and 360 miles - capable of reaching all of South Korea.</p><p>As one of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/thaad-missile-defense-system-2016">most advanced missile-defense systems</a> in the world, THAAD interceptors are able to identify and obliterate incoming enemy threats inside and outside of the atmosphere.</p><p>In conjunction <span>with the approximately 28,500 US forces in South Korea, Seoul plans to have the unique air-defense system operational by the end of 2017.</span></p><p>Pressure to deploy THAAD was spurred after Pyongyang tested its fourth <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-earthquake-detected-in-north-korea-not-clear-if-nuke-test-2016-1">nuclear bomb</a> on January 6 and then launched a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-has-fired-a-long-range-rocket-2016-2">long-range rocket</a> on February 7.</p><p>US Army Gen. Charles Jacoby, former commander of NORAD stressed the importance of deploying THAAD to protect the Korean Peninsula and US interests during a <a href="http://www.hudson.org/events/1354-space-and-the-right-to-self-defense72016" target="_blank">Hudson Institute discussion</a>.<span></span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/568d8d6de6183e26008b76c0-2400/rtx1zzju.jpg" alt="North Korean leader Kim Jong Un" data-mce-source="Reuters" data-mce-caption="North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches maneuvers between KPA large combined units 526 and 671 at undisclosed location in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang December 24, 2015." /><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches an exercise in this undated photo released by KCNA.</p></div><p></p></div></div>"The truth of the matter is THAAD was really the logical choice, and after intense debate and trying to assess what the complexities of the environment might hold ... we really can't get in a world where we refuse to defend ourselves," Jacoby said.</span></p><p><span>"T<span>here is still US forces there, they are playing a defense role, and they are at risk every day to a host of threats that now include the potential for ballistic-missile-carried weapons of mass destruction ... We cannot not act," Jacoby added.</span></span></p><p><span>Similarly, during a<span> </span><a href="http://www.brookings.edu/events/2016/07/13-brennan-cia-strategy">discussion at the Brookings Institution</a>, CIA Director John Brennan said that the deployment of THAAD to the region was an "obligation" on behalf of the US.</span></p><p><span>"We have certain obligations to our partners and the region so that the appropriate steps are taken to reassure our friends, partners, and allies of US commitment to the security of that area," Brennan told Business Insider.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/america-answer-north-korean-threats-south-korea-thaad-defense-missile-bomb-lockheed-martin-2016-2">Meet THAAD: America's answer to North Korean threats</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="9wOHVyMDE6hAGvGg83idQrRdjT0_QzVs" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '9wOHVyMDE6hAGvGg83idQrRdjT0_QzVs',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch reveals its alarming progress

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/554d47a7ecad04d9714773e8-1306/3000-ton-golf-class-submarine-1.png" border="0" alt="3,000-ton Golf-class submarine" data-mce-source="REUTERS/The Japan Times" data-mce-caption="North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stands on the conning tower of a submarine during his inspection of Korean People's Army Naval Unit 167 in this undated photo released in June." /><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/The Japan Times</span></p><p class="caption">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on the conning tower of a sub during his inspection of Korean People's Army Naval Unit 167 in this undated photo.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Despite North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's recent summit with President Donald Trump, North Korea doesn't appear to have abandoned its nuclear ambitions.</strong></li><li><strong>Recent reports indicate the country is also working on another ballistic-missile submarine.</strong></li><li><strong>Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to meet with North Korean officials in Pyongyang on Friday to further discuss denuclearization.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p>North Korea appears to be working on a new submarine capable of firing nuclear-armed ballistic missiles, according to information gathered by South Korea's military.</p><p>Kim Hack-yong, a South Korean lawmaker who until a few weeks ago was head of the legislature's <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">defense</keyword> committee, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-thought-to-be-working-on-submarine-able-to-launch-nuclear-weapons-1530873380" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Wall Street Journal</a> that North Korea appeared to working on the sub at the port of Sinpo on the country's east coast.</p><p>An aide to Kim said South Korean intelligence had noticed workers and materials moving at the port, where work on the sub appeared to be taking place at an indoor facility. Kim, whose term as the defense-committee chief recently ended, is a member of the conservative party that has been wary of talks with North Korea.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57bf519809d29330008b48bd-2400/rtx2mrm0.jpg" border="0" alt="North Korea submarine photo" data-mce-source="KCNA/File Photo via Reuters" data-mce-caption="An underwater test-firing of a strategic submarine ballistic missile is seen in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on April 24, 2016." /><p class="source"><span>KCNA/File Photo via Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">An underwater test-firing of a submarine ballistic missile shown in an undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on April 24, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>US military intelligence noticed similar activity at the port late last year, detecting what appeared to be construction on a new diesel-electric submarine at the Sinpo shipyard, <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2017/10/the-sinpo-c-class-a-new-north-korean-ballistic-missile-submarine-is-under-construction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Diplomat reported</a> in October, citing a US government source.</p><p>US intelligence <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2017/10/the-sinpo-c-class-a-new-north-korean-ballistic-missile-submarine-is-under-construction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimates</a> at that time gave the sub a submerged displacement of 2,000 tons and a beam of 36 feet, making it the largest ship built for the North Korean navy.</p><p>The Journal report comes as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits Pyongyang on Friday, where he is likely to push North Korea for more solid commitments regarding denuclearization. While North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump pledged at their mid-June summit in Singapore to "<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-korea/north-korea-has-increased-nuclear-production-secret-sites-say-u-n887926" target="_blank" rel="noopener">work toward</a>" denuclearization, no specific agreement was reached.</p><p>The US made some <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-increases-nuclear-production-after-trump-summit-report-says-2018-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concessions</a> to Pyongyang at that summit, including halting Ulchi Freedom Guardian, a major US-South Korea military exercise scheduled for August. But evidence has <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-thought-to-be-working-on-submarine-able-to-launch-nuclear-weapons-1530873380" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emerged</a> suggesting North Korea has not abandoned its nuclear ambitions.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/591b77e5e559f119018b5e73-800/2017-05-16t091238z4lynxnped4e11rrtroptp3northkorea-missiles-usa.jpg" border="0" alt="North Korea missile launch May 2017" data-mce-source="KCNA via REUTERS" data-mce-caption="The long-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 is launched during a test on May 15, 2017." /><p class="source"><span>KCNA via REUTERS</span></p><p class="caption">A Hwasong-12 long-range strategic ballistic rocket test-launched on May 15, 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Five US officials <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-korea/north-korea-has-increased-nuclear-production-secret-sites-say-u-n887926" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told NBC News</a> that North Korea has increased its production of enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.</p><p>While missile and nuclear tests have halted, one official said, "there's no evidence that they are decreasing stockpiles, or that they have stopped their production."</p><p>North Korea has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-navies-in-the-world-2018-4#1-north-korea-967-ships-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the world's largest navies</a> by number of ships. South Korea's defense ministry <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-thought-to-be-working-on-submarine-able-to-launch-nuclear-weapons-1530873380" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimates</a> Pyongyang has 430 surface vessels and about 70 submarines.</p><p>Many of those subs are thought to be obsolete, but that fleet includes one Gorae-class ballistic-missile sub, which was outfitted with a new missile-launch tube in summer 2017, <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2017/10/the-sinpo-c-class-a-new-north-korean-ballistic-missile-submarine-is-under-construction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Diplomat. (South Korea is reportedly looking <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/s-korea-new-zealand-poised-to-buy-us-p-8-poseidon-sub-hunting-plane-2018-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to buy six US-made P-8 Poseidons</a>, one of the world's most advanced sub-hunting aircraft.)</p><p>The sub under construction at Sinpo may be a successor to that Gorae-class boat, advancing a program that US officials consider a threat because it could allow North Korea to achieve greater surprise for a nuclear strike.</p><p>"It's too early to say if the North Koreans have defaulted on the Singapore agreement to denuclearize," Yang Uk, chief defense analyst at Seoul-based private think thank the Korea Defense and Security Forum, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-thought-to-be-working-on-submarine-able-to-launch-nuclear-weapons-1530873380" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Journal</a>.</p><p>"But earlier satellite images have already shown enough evidence proving North Korea has not abandoned its SLBM program," he added, referring to submarine-launched ballistic missiles.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-happened-at-the-trump-north-korea-summit-2018-6">Why the North Korea summit mattered even if it was 'mostly a photo op'</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/as3RdgEx-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

North Korea is reportedly working on a new submarine capable of firing nuclear-armed missiles

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a60e1c528eecc120f8b5845-1240/sail217342.jpg" alt="sail21_7342" data-mce-source="United Shipbuilding Corporation" data-mce-caption="A Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate built by Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation" /><p class="source"><span>United Shipbuilding Corporation</span></p><p class="caption">An Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate built by Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Russia commissioned its newest frigate, Admiral Makarov, just before the end of 2017.</strong></li><li><strong>The ship is an Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate, but plans for the class' full implementation are running into difficulty.</strong></li><li><strong>The Russian Navy in currently reliant on corvettes for most of its missions due to complications with larger ships, but is slowly trying to add more frigates to the fleet.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p><br />Just before the end of 2017, the Russian Navy <a href="http://www.janes.com/article/76843/russian-navy-receives-frigate-admiral-makarov">commissioned</a> its newest frigate, the Admiral Makarov. The ship, which will be based in Sevastopol, is an Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate, a multi-purpose ship that is certainly loaded for bear.</p><p>Each frigate in the Admiral Grigorovich class is armed with eight Club-N land-attack cruise missiles, a variant of the Kalibr missiles used to strike ISIS targets deep inside Syria. Two <a href="https://armedforcesweekly.com/russian-kashtan-ciws-vs-us-navy-phalanx-ciws/">Kashtan CIWS</a> air defence missile/gun systems and 24 <a href="http://roe.ru/eng/catalog/naval-systems/shipborne-weapons/shtil-1/">Shtil-1</a> anti-aircraft missiles make up each ship's air-defense component, as well as one <a href="http://roe.ru/eng/catalog/naval-systems/shipborne-weapons/a-190e-5p-10e/">A-190E gun</a> at its bow.</p><p>The frigate <a href="http://www.oaoosk.ru/en/products/project-11356/">boasts</a> a range of 4850 nautical miles, a top speed of 30 knots, an endurance of 30 days, and a crew of 193.</p><p>The bulk of the Russian Navy's current fleet are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-navy-new-corvette-small-missile-laden-ships-2017-11">corvettes</a>, small craft armed with long range missiles that cannot stray too far from the coast for long. Frigates have traditionally been the backbone of most of the world's navies, and Russia still hasn't given up on having large surface warships like it did during the Cold War.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a60e2dc28eecc1d008b59dd-637/admiral makarov russian navy jack.png" alt="Admiral Makarov Russian navy jack" data-mce-source="Vesti News/YouTube" data-mce-caption="A screenshot from a Russian news report showing a Russian sailor hoisting the Russian Navy Ensign during the commissioning ceremony for the frigate Admiral Makarov, December 27, 2017." data-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8l8cti5Zh0" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8l8cti5Zh0">Vesti News/YouTube</a></span></p><p class="caption">A screenshot from a Russian <keyword id="6355005" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="News">news</keyword> report showing a Russian sailor hoisting the Russian Navy Ensign during the commissioning ceremony for the frigate Admiral Makarov, December 27, 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>"Russia has realized that capabilities matter far more than platforms," Dmitry Gorenburg, a senior research scientist at the Center for Naval Analyses, told Business Insider.</p><p>"The Russian Navy is quite able to carry out its key missions, such as coastal protection and (increasingly) conventional deterrence with cruise missiles in addition to the SLBM role in nuclear deterrence," Gorenburg said in an email.</p><p>The Admiral Makarov will be the third Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate in the Russian Navy. Russia originally planned to have of six of the frigates in total, but recent events have put the program's schedule in an uncertain state.</p><h2>Ship building problems in the Russian Navy</h2><p>The Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate is essentially a thorough modernization of the Krivak IV-class frigate, a ship that was built for and exported to the Indian Navy from 1999 to 2012.</p><p>There were originally no plans for any more modernization of the Krivak series, but the Russian Navy began to have problems with the building and integration of the Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate - the ship intended to be the center of the Russian Navy's modern frigate fleet.</p><p>"It was just taking to long to finish," Gorenburg said. "There were issues with some of the systems - it was a kind of brand new construction - and so they realized they really needed new ships more quickly than those were going to get approved."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a60e40028eecc110f8b5848-1240/admiral makarov russian frigate.jpg" alt="Admiral Makarov Russian Frigate" data-mce-source="Russian Ministry of Defense" data-mce-caption="The Russian frigate Admiral Makarov in the Baltic Sea during trials" /><p class="source"><span>Russian Ministry of <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">Defense</keyword></span></p><p class="caption">The Russian frigate Admiral Makarov in the Baltic Sea during trials</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Russia then turned to and modernized the Krivak IVs, which they knew could be built and fielded faster, creating a new class in the process.</p><p>Construction of the ships hit a snag when Russia illegally annexed Crimea and war broke out in Ukraine. The ships needed a specific gas turbine engine that came from a Ukrainian company, which, after the annexation and breakout of war, was prevented from selling them.</p><p>As a result, Russia announced that it would <a href="https://sputniknews.com/asia/201708181056568114-india-russian-frigates/">sell</a> two of the three Grigorovich-class frigates under construction to India, who will be able to buy the engines separately themselves.</p><p>Russia <a href="http://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/4504716">maintains</a> that it will eventually have a total of six frigates for the Black Sea Fleet, after a domestic gas turbine engine is produced.</p><p>"There are still some problems in the shipbuilding industry, but they are not as bad as five years ago," Gorenburg said in an email. "On the whole, the Navy is going to be quite successful at building effective small ships while putting off big ships (destroyers, aircraft carriers) for the indefinite future."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nuclear-bomb-launch-procedure-us-government-president-2017-11">Here's how easy it is for the US president to launch a nuclear weapon</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/sZtYltl6-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Russia launched a powerful new frigate - but there are still lingering problems for the program's future

<p><img class="float_right" src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5491a46f69bedddd0194f599-1007-755/india-submarine-arihant.png" border="0" alt="India Submarine Arihant">India's nuclear capabilities may have taken a major step forward.</img></p>
<p>On Monday, India began sea trials of its first nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), <a href="http://news.usni.org/2014/12/16/new-indian-boomer-starts-sea-trials">according</a> to USNI news.&#xa0;</p>
<p>The&#xa0;<em>Arihant</em>, a 112 meter 6,000 ton SSBN, left the Indian coast and traveled into the Bay of Bengal for tests after decades of development. The <a href="http://www.usni.org/store/books/naval-institute-guide-combat-fleets-world-16th-edition">program</a> to develop the submarine has been in place since the 1970s in an effort to create an indigenous submarine that could function as a nuclear deterrent.&#xa0;</p>
<p><em>"Arihant</em> is based on the Russian Navy's Akula-class design and can field 12 Sagarika submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) with nuclear warheads," &#xa0;Sam LaGrone <a href="http://news.usni.org/2014/12/16/new-indian-boomer-starts-sea-trials">writes</a> for USNI News. "The missiles are capable of a range of about 435 miles."&#xa0;</p>
<p>India's launch of the&#xa0;<em>Arihant&#xa0;</em>coincides with a host of other military developments throughout South Asia. In October, India <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/india-has-successfully-tested-a-nuclear-capable-cruise-missile-2014-10">successfully</a> tested a nuclear-capable cruise missile. Pakistan countered by&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pakistan-has-just-successfully-tested-a-nuclear-capable-ballistic-missile-2014-11">carrying out</a> a successful test of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile.&#xa0;</p>
<p>The two nations are fierce rivals and have gone to war three times since British rule ended after World War II. A fragile ceasefire between the nations that has held since 2003 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-india-warns-pakistan-of-more-pain-in-kashmir-fighting-2014-10">almost ended</a> in October as both sides shelled the other over the disputed border in Kashmir.&#xa0;</p>
<p>This mutual war footing between India and Pakistan, coupled with both nations' pursuits of nuclear weapons, has made a nuclear exchange on the subcontinent <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-threshold-for-nuclear-war-between-pakistan-and-india-keeps-dropping-2014-12">ever more likely</a>, although still a vague possibility overall.</p>
<p>The eventual deployment of the&#xa0;<em>Arihant&#xa0;</em>may even help to stabilize relations between India and Pakistan through deterrence. SSBNs are capable of submerging at sea for months at a time, effectively allowing them to stay hidden and providing a "second-strike" capability that Pakistan currently lacks.</p>
<p>India's ability to launch a retaliatory strike against any Pakistani nuclear aggression would ideally convince both countries not to use their nuclear capabilities in the first place.&#xa0;</p>

India Just Tested A Submarine Capable Of Firing Nuclear Warheads From Sea

<p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/569408dbdd0895091c8b47bd-2704-2028/rtx21pzz.jpg" alt="Dhaka crowded busy Bangladesh" data-mce-source="Reuters/Ashikur Rahman" data-mce-caption="An overcrowded train leaves Dhaka airport rail station after the final prayer of &amp;quotBishwa Ijtema&quot;, the world congregation of Muslims, on the banks of the Turag river in Tongi near Bangladesh's capital Dhaka January 10, 2016. Millions of Muslims attended the three-day religious event." /><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Ashikur Rahman</span></p><p class="caption">An overcrowded train leaves Dhaka airport rail station after the final prayer of "Bishwa Ijtema", the world congregation of Muslims, on the banks of the Turag river in Tongi near Bangladesh's capital Dhaka January 10, 2016. Millions of Muslims attended the three-day religious event.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>Good morning! Here's what you need to know on Tuesday.</span></p><p><strong>1. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/david-bowie-dies-2016-1" target="_blank">The world is continuing to mourn the death of legendary British musician David Bowie after he passed away aged 69.</a> </strong>Thousands of people gathered in south London, where Bowie was born, to celebrate his life.</p><p><strong>2. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rbs-sell-everything-2016-1" target="_blank">The interest rate strategy team at RBS have advised clients to "sell everything except high-quality bonds. This is about return of capital, not return on capital. In a crowded hall, exit doors are small."</a></strong></p><p><strong>3. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/report-uber-15-billion-revenue-in-2015-2016-1" target="_blank">Leaked financials obtained by The Information's Amir Efrati show Uber is facing staggering losses.</a> </strong>Uber lost close to $1 billion in the first half of 2015, up from $671.4 million the year before, according to the report.</p><p><strong>4. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/10-reportedly-killed-hostages-taken-at-baghdad-mall-2016-1" target="_blank">At least 18 people were killed and 27 injured after a car bomb exploded outside a Baghdad shopping centre followed by four gunmen storming the mall.</a><span> </span></strong>Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the mall attack.</p><p><strong>5. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/snapchat-users-watch-7-billion-videos-every-day-2016-1" target="_blank">Snapchat users now watch 7 billion video clips every day, a source familiar with the matter told Business Insider, marking a big increase from just two months ago and raising the heat on the competition with Facebook. </a></strong></p><p><strong>6. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-has-its-sights-on-an-oscar-2016-1" target="_blank">Amazon intends to produce 16 feature films a year with the objective "to win an Oscar," says CEO Jeff Bezos</a><span>. </span></strong>It's all for the company's most important initiative, Amazon Prime.</p><p><strong>7. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-rupert-murdoch-jerry-hall-announce-engagement-2016-1" target="_blank">Media baron Rupert Murdoch announced his engagement to former supermodel Jerry Hall in an advertisement published on Tuesday in The Times newspaper, which is owned by Murdoch's News Corp.</a></strong></p><p><strong>8. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-north-korea-faked-sub-launched-missile-test-footage-analysis-2016-1" target="_blank">Footage of a North Korean submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test released by Pyongyang two days after it announced it had conducted the country's fourth nuclear test last week was faked, according to an analysis by a California-based think tank.</a></strong></p><p><strong>9. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/hmrc-boss-lin-homer-resigns-2016-1" target="_blank">Lin Homer, the chief executive of HMRC, is quitting her job in charge of Britain's taxman. Homer did not give a reason for her departure other than saying it was a "sensible time to move on."</a></strong></p><p><strong>10. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/dover-port-paris-attackers-uk-2016-1" target="_blank">A ferry port in southeastern England has become a "weak link" in border security for the UK, according to a report in The New York Times.</a></strong> Abdelhamid Abaaoud, an architect of the November terrorist attacks in Paris, was reportedly able to enter the <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> despite being named in an international arrest warrant.</p><p><strong>And finally ... <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/companies-that-tried-to-acquire-facebook-2010-5" target="_blank">These are 11 companies that tried to buy Facebook back when it was a startup.</a></strong></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/luxury-apartment-prices-manhattan-new-york-city-high-end-record-2016-1">The median sale price of a Manhattan apartment is now $1.15 million</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="V2bGkwMDE6I3Cr3ePvXrpOUg7Rj24Nsc" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'V2bGkwMDE6I3Cr3ePvXrpOUg7Rj24Nsc',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

The 10 most important things in the world right now

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/591782b1144293f8008b528d-2000/rts12fmn.jpg" alt="north korea parade" /><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Sue-Lin Wong</span></p><p class="caption">Missiles are driven past the stand with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other high ranking officials during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of North Korea's founding father, Kim Il Sung, in Pyongyang, April 15, 2017.</p><p><span>SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired a ballistic missile early on Sunday that flew 430 miles, South Korea's military said, days after a new leader took office in the South pledging to engage in dialogue with Pyongyang.</span></p><p><span>The missile was fired from the region of Kusong, northwest of Pyongyang, where the North in February successfully test-launched an intermediate-range missile that it is believed to be developing.</span></p><p><span>Japan said the latest missile reached an altitude of more than 1,245 miles and flew for 30 minutes before dropping into the sea between North Korea's east coast and Japan. The North has consistently test-fired missiles in that direction.</span></p><p><span>Sunday's launch, at 5:27 a.m. Seoul time (4:27 p.m. ET), came two weeks after North Korea fired a missile that disintegrated minutes into flight, marking its fourth consecutive failure since March.</span></p><p><span>The U.S. Pacific Command said it was assessing the type of missile but it was "not consistent with an intercontinental ballistic missile".</span></p><p><span>"U.S. Pacific Command is fully committed to working closely with our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies to maintain security," a spokesperson said, referring to South Korea by its official name.</span></p><p><span>In a statement Saturday evening, the White House pointed out the proximity of the missile to Russia, and said President Donald Trump "cannot imagine that Russia is pleased."</span></p><p>"North Korea has been a flagrant menace for far too long," the statement said. "Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea."</p><p><span>South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who took office on Wednesday, held his first National Security Council meeting as president in response to North Korea's latest missile launch, which he called a "clear violation" of U.N. Security Council resolutions, the presidential office said.</span></p><p><span>"The president said while South Korea remains open to the possibility of dialogue with North Korea, it is only possible when the North shows a change in attitude," Yoon Young-chan, Moon's press secretary, said at a briefing.</span></p><p><span>Moon won Tuesday's election on a platform of a moderate approach to North Korea and has said he would be willing to go to Pyongyang under the right circumstances, arguing dialogue must be used in parallel with sanctions to resolve its neighbor's defiance of the international community.</span></p><p><span>Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters on Sunday that North Korea's repeated missile launches are a "grave threat to our country and a clear violation of UN resolutions."</span></p><p><span>Abe said Japan will stay in close touch with the United States and South Korea.</span></p><p><span>Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga declined to comment when he was asked whether the latest missile launch was a success, and whether it represented a new level of threat.</span></p><h2><span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5908ec852f6ae479018b60ab-2400/ap16231139374.jpg" alt="Kim Jong-un" /><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Wong Maye-E</span></p><p class="caption">Kim Jong-un.</p></span></h2><h2><span>Missile tests at unprecedented pace</span></h2><p><span>North Korea launched the Pukguksong-2 missile, an upgraded, extended-range version of its submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), from the same Kusong site on Feb 12.</span></p><p><span>South Korean and U.S. military officials said the February launch was a significant development as it successfully tested a solid-fuel engine from a mobile launcher. The missile flew about 500 km with an altitude of 550 km.</span></p><p><span>It represented a more significant threat because of the difficulty of tracking a mobile launcher and because of the ability to keep the missile fueled in advance, unlike liquid fuel rockets.</span></p><p><span>The North attempted but failed to test-launch ballistic missiles four consecutive times in the past two months but has conducted a variety of missile tests since the beginning of last year at an unprecedented pace.</span></p><p><span>Weapons experts and government officials believe the North has accomplished some technical progress with those tests.</span></p><p><span>Trump warned in an interview with Reuters in late April that a "major, major conflict" with the North was possible, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute over its nuclear and missile programs.</span></p><p><span>On Saturday, a senior North Korean diplomat who is a veteran member of its nuclear negotiating team, said the country was open to dialogue with the Trump administration under the right conditions, without elaborating.</span></p><p><span>Choe Son Hui, the North's Foreign Ministry director general for U.S. affairs, spoke to reporters while in transit in Beijing after attending a conference with former U.S. officials in Norway.</span></p><p><span>South Korea, the United States and other regional powers have been stepping up efforts to diffuse tensions over the North's weapons program after a sharp rise in tensions in April over concerns that it may conduct a sixth nuclear test.</span></p><p><span>North Korea has briefly reported on Moon's election win and said conservatives in South Korea should be thrown out for good for inciting confrontation between the rival states.</span></p><p><span>There was no immediate reaction from China. Delegations from Washington, Seoul and Pyongyang are gathering in Beijing on Sunday to attend China's new Silk Road forum, its biggest diplomatic event of the year.</span></p><p><span>(Additional reporting by Linda Sieg in Tokyo; Editing by Soyoung Kim and Neil Fullick)</span></p>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-built-bridge-north-korea-new-yalu-bridge-trade-2017-5">China built a $350 million bridge that ends in a dirt field in North Korea</a></h3>                                    Please enable Javascript to watch this video                    

You Searched For "SLBM" and got 7 results

Pentagon: The THAAD deployment to South Korea is only the first step if North Korea doesn't behave

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North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch reveals its alarming progress

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North Korea is reportedly working on a new submarine capable of firing nuclear-armed missiles

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Russia launched a powerful new frigate - but there are still lingering problems for the program's future

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India Just Tested A Submarine Capable Of Firing Nuclear Warheads From Sea

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The 10 most important things in the world right now

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North Korea fires ballistic missile days after new South Korea leader pledges dialogue

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