Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!rutgers!att!cbnews!military From: F2E010@BARILVM.BITNET (Don Goldenfarb) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Syria to Buy North Korean Missiles Message-ID: <1990Jun4.192924.2707@cbnews.att.com> Date: 4 Jun 90 19:29:24 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Distribution: na Organization: Bar-Ilan University Computing Center, Israel Lines: 48 Approved: military@att.att.com From: Don Goldenfarb >From Yediot Acharonot...May 10, 1990 North Korea to Sell Syria Missiles With 600 Kilometer Range - the missiles, improved Scud-B type, will be able to hit any target within Israel by Ron Ben-Yishai Syria is expected to recieve surface to surface missiles from North Korea, that will allow it to hit any target within Israel. According to western sources, these are an improved version of the Scud-B missile that have a 600 kilometer range and a better precision than the original Scud-B. The North Korean missiles are able to carry both chemical and conventional warheads of any weight. The Syrians turned to the North Koreans after negotitiations with the USSR and China failed to get them the upgraded surface to surface missiles they wanted. the USSR refuses to sell upgraded surface to surface missiles of the SM-23 type that have a 500 kilometer range. The Chinese M-9 missile is still in the early stages of testing and production and will not be ready for operations until 1992. Another reason for the failure of the negotiations between Damascus and Bejing was American pressure on China not to sell long range missiles to any Middle Eastern country. The North Korean version of the Scud-B gives the Syrians many advantages. Not only does it enable them to cover any target they would want to attack in Israel, but it is also cheaper and more reliable than the USSR and Chinese missiles. The Syrains have much experience with the Scud-B as the USSR version has already been in the possesion of the Syrian Army for a number of years. According to the report of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies in Tel-Aviv, Syria has about 60 short range missiles. An addition of a few dozen of the North Korean missiles, will improve the quantity and the quality of Syria's long range option in its ability to attack Israel. North Korea has one of the most advanced military industries of a third world country. It produces, with license from the USSR, Soviet armament systems, and has introduced improvements in some of them. The Scud-B is also originally a Soviet planned and produced missile. The original range of the missile was about 280 kilometers and it could carry a one ton warhead.