| Hwasong-6 | |
| Type: | Short range ballistic missile |
| Origin: | North Korea |
| Is Ranged: | yes |
| Is Artillery: | yes |
| Is Missile: | yes |
| Service: | 1992[1] −Present |
| Used By: | See operators |
| Wars: | Yemeni civil war (2014–present) |
| Production Date: | 1990−2000? |
| Variants: | See variants |
| Length: | 10.94m (35.89feet) |
| Diameter: | 88cm (35inches) |
| Max Range: | NaNkm (-2,147,483,648miles) |
| Filling: | HE, cluster munition |
| Filling Weight: | NaNkg (-2,147,483,648lb) |
| Accuracy: | NaNm (-2,147,483,648feet) CEP |
| Launch Platform: | MAZ-543 TEL |
The Hwasong-6 is a North Korean tactical ballistic missile. It is derived from the Hwasong-5, itself a derivative of the Soviet R-17 Elbrus. It carries the NATO reporting name Scud.
Work on an extended-range version of the Hwasong-5 began around 1984, and with only relatively minor modifications, a new type was produced from 1989, designated Hwasong-6 ("Scud Mod. C" or "Scud-C"). It was first tested in June 1990, and entered full-scale production the same year, or in 1991. It is likely out of production. The North Koreans would later use their acquired know-how to produce domestic copies of the Scud-B to create a larger missile, the Hwasong-7.
To increase range over its predecessor, the Hwasong-6 has its payload decreased to 770kg (1,700lb) and the length of the rocket body extended to increase the propellant by 25%; accuracy is 700–1,000 meters circular error probability (CEP). Such range is sufficient to strike targets as far away as western Japan. Its dimensions are identical to the original Hwasong-5. Due to difficulties in procuring MAZ-543 TELs, mobile launchers were produced in North Korea. By 1999, North Korea was estimated to have produced 600 to 1,000 Hwasong-6 missiles, of which 25 had been launched in tests, 300 to 500 had been exported, and 300 to 600 were in service with the Korean People's Army.[2]
The Hwasong-6 is armed with a high-explosive (HE) fragmentation or cluster warhead, but it's believed that it can also carry a nuclear, chemical, or biological warhead.
Before the 2015 Houthi takeover in Yemen, the country didn't had a domestic missile program, and had only a small stockpile of Soviet-made Scud-B and North Korean Hwasong-6 missiles bought in the 1980s and 1990s. These were used against the pro-Hadi forces in the summer of that year. Since then, the Houthis have used domestically produced ballistic missiles with Iranian assistance.
See main article: Shahab-2.
See main article: Burkan-2.
The Hwasong-6 was exported to Iran, where it is designated as the Shahab-2, to Syria, where it is manufactured under licence with Chinese assistance[2] and to Yemen.[5] Myanmar also imported Hwasong-6 ballistic missiles in 2009.[6] About 25 Hwasong-6 ballistic missiles were purchased by Vietnam from North Korea in 1997.In 1995, Libya purchased 5 Hwasong-6 missiles from North Korea, however they were never tested or deployed, and planned local production was cancelled in 2003 with the disarmament of Libya.[7]
Libya