Flying Horse.

This is coolbert:

North Korea seems at this exact moment to be THE topic on the internet. Very big. As big as almost nothing else ever is.

"Over the past two weeks the talk of the international stage has been North Korean president Kim Jong Il and his testing of a nuclear weapon."

The detonation of nuclear weapon the DPRK [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea], commie North Korea, has really startled the world in a BIG WAY.

And now it is announced that the North Koreans may be ready to test a SECOND nuclear weapon. According to the "experts". And the first announced test has been "confirmed" as not being a "fizzle", but was a real-honest-to-GOD nuclear detonation. That the DPRK could detonate a SECOND bomb so close to the explosion of the first bomb IS coming as an additional surprise to the "experts".

NONE of these developments with nuclear weapons should have come as a surprise to the "experts".

As I have said, the North Koreans seem to really have a pretty good indigenous weapons industry. Know what they are doing and do it well.

Have been able to take a basic weapon and modify it beyond recognition. Create a much more potent and able weapons system. In this regard, their ordnance experts seem to be a lot like that of another small but able nation, Israel.

Take two weapons systems employed by the North Koreans. Systems deployed in NUMBERS.

One such weapons system is the main-battle-tank [MBT] of the North Koreans. Called the Ch'onma-ho [Flying Horse]. Based upon a Soviet design from 1962. This was originally the Soviet T-62 tank. NOT considered by contemporary standards to be an adequate machine. The successor to the T-62 was the Soviet T-64/72/80. Fielded by the Soviets in large numbers and encountered by U.S. forces in Iraq. WAS NOT a match for the American M-1 Abrams. The North Koreans have been able, evidently, to improve and modify the basic T-62 in such a manner as to be able to create a much more formidable machine. A machine, that if encountered by U.S. forces in NUMBERS, as it would be, would present difficulties for American tankers.

[such is the level of secrecy with the North Koreans that there does not even seem to exist a GOOD picture anywhere of the Ch'onma-ho tank. NOT even one really good and up close picture exists of this North Korean tank!!??]

It is also reputed that the follow-on version to the Ch'onma-ho tank is the M-2002. A North Korean improved version of the Russian T-90 tank. How the T-90 could be IMPROVED to begin with is a good question. The T-90 is already a formidable weapon. Considered to be a MATCH already for the M-1 Abrams and perhaps even SUPERIOR in some regards. Again, it would seem the North Koreans have taken a basic Russian weapon and made it BETTER.

All this through their own efforts. Amazing for a nation at the brink or already over the edge of STARVATION.

A second weapons system that illustrates the indigenous design capability of the North Koreans is the Koksan 170 mm gun. A self-propelled gun that was used by the Iranians with SUCCESS in their war with Iraq in the late 1980's. WAS an effective weapon. For A TIME THIS WEAPON HAD THE GREATEST RANGE OF ANY PIECE OF ARTILLERY IN THE WORLD!!

[range by itself is NOT enough!! You want range with ACCURACY!! Obvious!! But, that the North Koreans were able to even FIELD such a piece of artillery is indicative of good weapons design that is the equal of just about anyone else in the world!!]

Again, this from a nation at the brink or already over the edge of STARVATION!!

coolbert.