North Korea has developed and begun manufacturing new 155mm self-propelled howitzers with a range of more than 60 km. This raises the possibility that russia could deploy them against Ukraine, given previous arms deliveries from North Korea.
According to the Korean Central News Agency, the production of the new howitzer was demonstrated to dictator Kim Jong-un. The system has already undergone test firings with improved ammunition.
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The new self-propelled artillery system is reportedly set to be delivered to three battalions along the border with South Korea this year. This will fulfill plans to deploy long-range artillery capabilities.
From Defense Express we would like to note that North Korea appears to be following a path similar to China's in the development of artillery systems. This reflects a shift from the Soviet 152mm caliber to the Western 155mm standard, with a 52-caliber barrel length.
At the same time, achieving a range of over 60 km requires the use of specialized ammunition. One example is the Assegai family developed by Rheinmetall Denel, a Western counterpart that uses rocket-assisted projectiles and could potentially be supplied to Ukraine.
These claims of new capabilities suggest that North Korea's military has likely developed such shells. However, only testing has been reported so far, so their performance cannot yet be assessed.
North Korea possesses the 170-mm M-1989 self-propelled howitzer, with an estimated range of 40 km using conventional ammunition and 60 km using rocket-assisted projectiles. However, since this is a non-standard caliber, it may make sense to adopt the more widely used 155mm standard.
It is also worth noting that Koksan guns have been supplied to russia and are reportedly in use against the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which raises questions about whether the same may apply to the new 155mm howitzer. After all, this would be an excellent opportunity to conduct combat testing.
On the other hand, this points to the transfer of newly developed weapons in limited quantities, with constrained ammunition stocks, intended for deployment against South Korea. Therefore, supplying these weapons now may be premature, at least until the first three planned battalions are fully equipped.
It can be concluded that North Korea's 155mm howitzer could be transferred to russia if the DPRK agrees, and that it would most likely demand substantial compensation in return, including technology. However, this remains a political decision whose details are known only to the leadership of the two countries.
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