North Korea has claimed that its first spy satellite to be launched into space has been able to photograph the White House, the Pentagon, and various U.S. naval stations.
Bloomberg reported that the nation’s reconnaissance probe was launched on November 21, and since then, it has allegedly been able to photograph Andersen Air Force Base, Pearl Harbor, and even the U.S. Navy’s USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier.
However, none of the alleged photographs taken by North Korea have been confirmed by any other country. It is not even certain that the piece of tech is fully functional.
North Korea has also claimed that its reconnaissance mission is prepared to go into effect on December 1, barring significant issues. But the official Korean Central News Agency stated that the “fine-tuning process of the satellite is being hastened to end one or two days earlier.”
South Korea said that North Korea’s satellite capabilities could not be verified. The development comes after South Korea prepared to launch its first spy satellite into space on a U.S. Falcon 9 rocket but was delayed due to weather.
Reuters reported that Dave Schmerler, a satellite imagery expert with the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, suggested that it was not out of the realm of possibility for North Korea’s spy satellite to have the ability to spot large areas or warships.
“It’s a big leap for [North Korea] going from zero to something, but until we can see the images they’re collecting, we’re speculating on its use cases,” Schmerler said.
Jeffrey Lewis, who is also a researcher at the CNS, noted a state media photo that captured Kim and his daughter suggest that the photos could be panchromatic, meaning that they are taken in black and white and sensitive to all wavelengths. However, this speculation has not been confirmed.
While it is possible that the probe can likely take photos, it is uncertain whether its quality is high enough to see images that would be of any military value, according to Jeon Ha-kyu, South Korea’s Defense Ministry spokesperson.
Adrienne Watson, White House National Security Council spokesperson, said that the U.S. cannot verify the claims made by North Korea.
She went on to say: “We strongly condemn the DPRK for its launch of a space launch vehicle using ballistic missile technology, which is a brazen violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, raises tensions, and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond.”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!