El Koksan es el arma de artiller\u00eda de mayor alcance de Corea del Norte. Fue identificado por primera vez por Estados Unidos en 1979 en la ciudad norcoreana de Koksan, de donde recibi\u00f3 su nombre occidental. Calibre 170 mm, tiene un alcance de tiro efectivo de hasta 40 km con munici\u00f3n est\u00e1ndar y 60 km con proyectiles asistidos por cohetes, disparando 1 o 2 proyectiles cada 5 minutos. Su ca\u00f1\u00f3n est\u00e1 montado a la vista, por lo que no ofrece protecci\u00f3n a su supuesta tripulaci\u00f3n de 4 a 6 miembros.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s unclear if the Koksan SPG is among them, Russian forces are now reportedly being trained on North Korea\u2019s SPGs. What do we know about these systems and the long-range Koksan?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been well reported that Russia has a\u00a0growing alliance of authoritarian powers<\/a>\u00a0which includes North Korea.<\/p>\n \u201cWe saw officers, technical personnel from North Korea in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine,\u201d Zelenskyy\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0during a press briefing on October 22.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Russian forces have begun training on North Korean self-propelled artillery systems at Russia\u2019s Higher Artillery Command School (VAKU) in Saratov,\u00a0reported<\/a>\u00a0Ukraine\u2019s ATESH partisan movement.<\/p>\n Both North Korean military instructors and other personnel\u00a0have reportedly been present in occupied Ukrainian territories<\/a>, monitoring and providing training. Some will be deployed to fight alongside Russian forces in their illegal invasion of Ukraine as early as November 1,\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR), adding that the number of soldiers is closer to 11,000.<\/p>\n Ukraine also has information about the preparation of two North Korean units, \u201cwhich may even be two brigades of 6,000 soldiers each,\u201d Zelenskyy\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0during his evening address, stressing that though this poses a challenge, Kyiv knows how to respond.<\/p>\n This \u201cdangerous and highly concerning development\u201d would be \u201canother reckless and dangerous action both on the side of Russia, but of course on the side of DPRK (North Korea),\u201d Washington\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0during a State Department press briefing on October 22.<\/p>\n