COULD THESE MISSLES HIT THE WESTERN US
North Korean soldiers carry flags as they pass an image of Kim Il Sung as they take part in a parade in capital Pyongyang
Thousands of troops took part in the parade on a day to mark what would have been the 105th birthday of the country's founder, Kim Il Sung
North Korea has warned that Donald Trump's 'troublemaking' and 'aggressive' tweets have pushed the world to the brink of thermo-nuclear war
Commandoes wearing camouflage gear were on parade as soldiers yelled out 'long live' to celebrate the 105th anniversary of Kim Jong-un's grandfather's birthdayA total of 56 missiles of 10 different types were displayed, culminating in enormous rockets on articulated trailers and on 16-wheeler vehicles.Single-engine propeller-powered planes flew in a 105 formation overhead.Unlike previous parades attended by Kim, there did not appear to be a senior Chinese official in attendance, Reuters observed. China is North Korea's lone major ally, but has spoken out against its missile and nuclear tests and has supported UN sanctions. China yesterday again called for talks to defuse the escalation in tensions.Some detachments carried assault rifles or rocket-propelled grenades, others were equipped with night-vision goggles and daubed in face paint. One troupe was made up of sword-wielding women. The nuclear-armed North is under United Nations sanctions over its weapons programmes, and has ambitions to build a rocket capable of delivering a warhead to the US mainland - something Trump has vowed 'won't happen'.
The display of patriotism came on a day which US experts fear could be used to carry out further missile testing in North Korea
Soldiers march through Pyongyang as officials look on at the celebration event, a national holiday in North KoreaCOULD THIS NEW MISSILE NUKE THE US? EXPERT SAYS MYSTERY WEAPON COULD BE A 'GAME CHANGER'North Korea unveiled what appeared to be new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) at its Day of the Sun parade, amid increasing fears it is trying to develop a model that could hit the United States.The secretive state showed off two new kinds of ICBM enclosed in canister launchers mounted on the back of transporter erector launcher trucks, or TELs.The larger missile was similar in appearance to the Chinese DF-41, which can fly 9,000 miles. Melissa Hanham, a senior research associate at the US-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California, said: 'However, North Korea has a habit of showing off new concepts in parades before they ever test or launch them. It is still early days for these missile designs.'
Crowds cheered as a missile was driven past the stand where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and other high ranking officials looked on
An unidentified rocket is displayed during today's parade, with experts voicing fears that it could have a range of 9,000 milesIf the Korean missiles actually work, and have a similar range to the Chinese missile, they could hit the continental US. But it's very unlikely that North Korea has that technology at this stage.Pyongyang has yet to formally announce it has an operational ICBM, but Chad O'Carroll, managing director of specialist service NK News, said the new rockets could be liquid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missiles, or an early prototype.These long-range missiles would be 'a big game-changer once it is deployed in service', he said but added there would be a long testing schedule ahead before a trial launch of the missile itself.But liquid-fuel missiles also 'take hours to fuel up and if there is intelligence that they were doing that it would be quite easy to stop it before it was launched', he told AFP.In his annual New Year's address, Kim said North Korea's preparations for an ICBM launch had 'reached the final stage'. Recent satellite imagery suggests the country could conduct another underground nuclear test at any time. Solid fuel ICBMs are a 'much more difficult threat to prevent', O'Carroll said, adding that risk was still "many many years" away.Also on show for the first time was the North's submarine launch ballistic missiles (SLBM).
Arrival: Military vehicles carrying the KN-11 missile - which can be launched from a submarine - and potentially gives the country a limited nuclear second strike capability
The parade was held at a time of heightened tension with the US, 24 hours after China warned war could break out 'at any moment'Tensions have been mounting in recent weeks, and North Korea has issued several warnings threatening to 'pulverize' US troops and retaliate in response to any military action. Kim Dong-yub, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said the canisters and trucks suggested that the North was developing technology to 'cold launch' ICBMs, ejecting them from the canisters before they ignite. This would allow North Korea to prevent its limited number of ICBM-capable launcher trucks from being damaged during launches and also make the missiles harder to detect after they're fired, he said. Cold launches would also allow the missiles to be fired from silos. Kim said that the North is also likely developing solid-fuel ICBMs, and that some of the rockets paraded inside canisters on Saturday might be prototypes.
Thousands of soldiers marched during the parade today, on a day of heightened tensions between North Korea and the US
Soldiers marched and shouted slogans in a patriotic display to mark the anniversary of Kim Il Sung's birth
US officials feared Kim Jong-un would mark the national holiday by launching its sixth nuclear weapons test, since the country has used previous holidays to showcase its military prowess
Performers play the drums at the parade today, where North Korea gave a show of its military might in Pyongyang
Tensions between the US and North Korea have been mounting in recent weeks, and yesterday Pyongyang issued a series of menacing threats to 'ravage' US troops and 'go to war if they choose'.
China warned the region could go to war 'at any moment'. US President Donald Trump is monitoring the emerging crisis from his Mar-a-Lago resort this weekend without the company of his top advisers.
North Korean state television showed Kim, wearing a black suit and white shirt, stepping out of a black limousine.
He saluted his honor guard before walking down a red carpet to a podium and clapped with senior government officials to address the massive crowd taking part in the parade.
Goose-stepping soldiers and marching bands filled the square as tanks, multiple launch rocket systems and other weapons waited to parade.
Kim, a 30-something leader who took power in late 2011, emphasizes nuclear weapons as the foundation of his national defense strategy.
The country under his watch has been aggressively pursuing a goal of putting a nuclear warhead on an ICBM capable of reaching the continental United States
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