Can North Korea's artillery really turn Seoul into a sea of fire in modern warfare?

20 17 the military tension on the Korean peninsula was once on the brink of war. At this time, many people who eat melons will compare the military strength of the DPRK and the ROK and fantasize about a Korean war without external intervention. Among them, the influence of North Korean artillery strength on the war has always been the focus of discussion.

North Korea once threatened that its rockets and artillery could turn Seoul, the capital of South Korea, into a sea of fire at any time. Does North Korea really have this ability? In the modern war where missiles are flying all over the sky, can traditional artillery still achieve the expected effect? This is worth analyzing.

First of all, rockets and missiles have different tasks. Rockets mainly attack tactical targets, while missiles can attack both campaign targets and tactical targets. At present, 70km-300km is the main range of the new long-range rocket launcher, while the missile basically hits the target above 300km, and the range of ordinary artillery is about 50km. It can be seen that the main difference between a missile and a rocket launcher is its power and striking distance, while others are not much different. The coverage and launching speed of artillery far exceed that of missiles.

Secondly, the cost of missiles and ordinary rockets is different. The consumption of ammunition in modern war battlefield is huge, and the cost of ammunition is an unavoidable problem. The cost of rockets and missiles is not an order of magnitude, and the cost-effectiveness ratio is not high for targets that can be destroyed by rockets. Quite simply, if rockets and artillery are in the same range, the cost is far lower than that of missiles.

Finally, let's look at mobility. Rocket launchers usually use wheeled or tracked chassis, which is lighter in weight and more flexible in maneuver, and can achieve quick hit and quick withdrawal. The weight of the missile is heavier. In addition to the wheeled or tracked chassis used for maneuvering, there is also a silo mode, which is relatively lacking in maneuverability and flexibility. At this time, it can be seen that ordinary rocket launchers and artillery firepower are actually superior to missiles in some aspects in modern warfare.

Of course, all military weapons want to exert their power, depending on the location of the war. As far as the Korean War we are discussing now is concerned, rockets and artillery are far more important than missiles. Heavy troops were deployed near the 38th parallel of the Korean peninsula, and the battlefield was only a few kilometers to a dozen kilometers away, completely covered by artillery fire. The most serious thing is that Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is nearly 60 kilometers away from the 38th parallel, which is completely within the coverage of rockets. At this time, it is not impossible to recall North Korea's words and turn Seoul into a sea of fire at any time.

Let's imagine that North Korea fired at Seoul near the 38th parallel, and tens of thousands of shells rained down on Seoul in a short time. This is really an unimaginable result. Of course, it would be best if South Korea could destroy North Korea's artillery positions before then, but the deployment and launch of rockets and artillery is only a matter of minutes, and we can't just hit them. Obviously, you can't fire when the other rocket car is moving, but it's too late when people are ready to fire. This really gives South Korea a headache.