On two occasions in a period of less than a week over late February and early March, North Korea fired short-range missiles into the sea off its eastern coast. In an email interview, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., chief analytics officer for Allsource Analysis Inc. and publisher and editor of KPA Journal, explained the state of North Korea’s missile arsenal.
WPR: What is the extent of North Korea's current missile arsenal and capabilities, in terms of numbers, range and accuracy, and what have been the main sources of its technologies?
Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr.: Providing a detailed account of North Korea’s ballistic missile inventory and capabilities is difficult at the open-source level due to the fact that North Korea has long pursued a policy of strategic-level camouflage, concealment and deception specifically focused on denying the U.S. and its allies detailed information into its ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs. In this regard much of what is displayed during North Korea’s military parades has been operational for years, or is aspirational in nature. With that said, enough information has become available to provide the following outline.