North Korean missiles: A mosaic of global tech origins
Ukrainians have completed the analysis of the wreckage of North Korean ballistic missiles KN-23/24. The body is the only element of North Korean origin, while the rest of the components come from various countries. We explain what the Kim-skanders conceal and how they might have been developed.
Due to the depletion of what was once thought by many to be "endless" post-Soviet ammunition reserves and insufficient production capacity, Russians are forced to meet as much as 60 percent of their needs with supplies from North Korea.
In addition to simple artillery shells and unguided rockets, Russians also receive North Korean ballistic missiles KN-23/24. As is typical for regimes isolated from the world, these are made using commercial components sourced from countries like China, the USA, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, and Switzerland. Some, like the DC/DC converter from XP Power, were even produced in 2023.
Here’s how the Kim regime acquires electronics
Similar to Iran, North Korea has developed a system for acquiring electronics through a network of entities masking the end customer. This involves acquiring commercial components that are available for open sale. Another source is distributors from countries like Kazakhstan, willing to sell certain electronics to sanctioned entities for several times the market price for profit.
It’s worth noting that military-grade circuits are not always necessary for weapons production, as commercial electronics can also suffice. However, this affects reliability since, for instance, circuits intended for washing machines are not designed to operate under the stress or temperatures experienced by a ballistic missile.
As a result, situations arise where some of the launched missiles simply miss due to malfunction or prematurely explode mid-flight, which has already occurred near Kyiv in the case of North Korean KN-23/24.
A surprising mix of electronics and mechanics in the KN-23/24 missiles from the DPRK
For example, the DC/DC converter TEN 8-2411WI from the Swiss company TRACO Power or the Hall sensor HCS-LTS-15A from LEM International SA cost about a dozen dollars each and are available to anyone. Meanwhile, the LPC1759FBD80 microcontroller, intended for use in alarm systems or engine controllers, comes from the Dutch company NXP.
There are also numerous American-made components from Bourns Inc, Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, Semtech Corporation, and Fairchild Semiconductor. For example, Texas Instruments provides the TPS54312 pulse regulators costing less than five dollars each.
The final electronics category is sourced from North Korea’s oldest ally, the People's Republic of China. An example could be the AT2659s antenna amplifier from ZHONGKEWEI supporting GPS or GLONASS, ordinary E249743 antenna cables from Jiukai Co. Ltd., a 12.00 MHz quartz resonator, or the URB2405LD-20WR3 DC/DC converter from MORNSUN Guangzhou.
The North Koreans even use car parts, like the NSK 5209Z NR ball bearings used in many Toyota or Lexus cars, to produce KN-23/24 missiles.
All this, combined with a 500-kilogram warhead and a solid-fuelled rocket engine, creates a dangerous weapon that, if it doesn’t fall apart along the way, can inflict serious damage with great precision to targets up to about 500 kilometres away. Kim-skanders are a poorer analogy to the Russian ballistic missiles Iskander-M.
