archive: Pak-bound N. Korean ship with missile machinery detained
Pak-bound N. Korean ship with missile machinery detained
Mihir Mistry
The Times of India
July 5, 1999
Title: Pak-bound N. Korean ship with missile machinery detained
Author: Mihir Mistry
Publication: The Times of India
Date: July 5, 1999
A Pakistan-bound ship from North Korea, which was intercepted and
detained by customs authorities at Kandla port, has been found to be
carrying spare-parts and machinery for developing short range
liquid-propelled surface-to-surface missiles.
Intelligence sources said 80 packets out of the total cargo of about
178 packets of heavy engineering goods checked by the customs
authorities had yielded raw materials and technology of the Nodong-1
generation North Korean missiles which Pakistan plans to pit against
the 150-km range Prithvi missile of India.
Investigators seized heavy duty presses and lathe machines that are
used to flatten and mill high grade steel sheets. A plate bending
ma-chine with three rollers capable of rolling 16 mm thick sheets has
also been recovered. Ibis was meant for the manufacture of the easing
of the rocket's motor.
Amongst speciality items seized were "torroidal" air bottles which are
used to guide missile war heads once-they have separated from the
engine. It is the mid-course path correction system of missiles.
Investigators have also recovered two sets of "theodolides" which are
used to survey the launch site in order to ensure that the missile
launcher is properly aligned with the missile at the time of firing.
Among other equipment seized were three sophisticated electronic
weighing machines and a digital micron soldering machine. According
to DRDO experts, the North Korean ship 'Ku-Wol-San' was carrying 1.5
mm forged steel bars that is used for making missile parts.
Ale cargo also contained water refining and filtration machinery used
for purifying water to a high degree in order to use it to wash
missile cones. Also being carried was 18 boxes of machinery for other
military use.
Intelligence sources said the ship, owned by Puhung Trading
Corporation, North Korea, had been detained by the Kandla customs on
June 25 after starting from the North Korean capital Pyongyang.
The ship had off-loaded 13,000 metric tonnes of sugar at Kandla and
had declared 'to revenue authorities that it was carrying 177 tonnes
of machinery parts for Malta, though the suspicion was that the
consignment was to be off-loaded at Karachi.
The catch also confirms the long feared military relations between
North Korea and Pakistan, which, along with China, is believed to be
covertly developing missile system. Source said the catch will also
put a question mark on Pakistan's claims at indigenous development of
missiles, including the 'Hatf' and 'Shaheen' series.
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