Satellite photos show North Korea deploys mysterious balloon-like objects to shocked warships

New satellite images show North Korea has deployed a 5,000-ton warship that appears to be a balloon, and it has been lying on its side and partially submerged since its outbreak last week.

Although the purpose of the object is unclear, experts told CNN that they can be used to help keep the ship upright or to protect it from the eye-piercing of the drone.

The disaster-affected destroyer is the country’s newest warship and was originally a victory for North Korea’s ambitious naval modernization efforts. Instead, the launch mechanism on May 21 failed, causing the stern to slide into the water prematurely, crushing parts of the hull and laying the bow and arrow on the delivery lane.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un witnessed a failed launch in the northeastern city of Chongjin, which he called “criminal acts” and ordered the country to quickly repair the late June plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party, calling it a national honor.

Since then, officials have scrambled to remove the damage and punish those who claim to be responsible, detaining four people in recent days, including the shipyard’s chief engineer.

Analysts say it seems that the balloon is being used in amid North Korea’s efforts to quickly repair the destroyer.

“It seems that the balloons have been installed to re-upgrade the ship, but to prevent further flooding,” said Rep. Yu Yong-Weon, a member of the South Korean National Assembly and a military analyst.

Retired US Navy CPT. Carl Schuster said if these objects were indeed balloons, they could have one of two purposes – to prevent “low-to-intermediate drone reconnaissance” or to relieve the pressure on the ship to remain stuck on the dock.

“That is the area that is most likely to be damaged, suffers the worst damage, and is still under great pressure when moving forward areas away from the water,” he said.

Nick Childs, a naval and maritime security researcher at the International Institute of Strategic Studies, said North Korea could further damage the ship if it uses a balloon to float or raise it.

“There is a good chance that the ship will be under a lot of pressure anyway,” he said.

Childs said the normal procedure would be to get as much buoyancy as possible on the boat and then raise it from below.

According to satellite images shared by Maxar Technologies, more than a dozen white, balloon-like objects have been deployed around the destroyers since May 23.

Defense experts told CNN that depending on the shape of the object and the shape of the tail fin, they may be smaller versions of the so-called Aerostat aircraft, a balloon with a slight similarity to the sewage. Like a trigger, smoke calls gain buoyancy from the lifting gas, allowing them to float in the air or in water.

The images do not appear to show any flotation bladder supporting the hull or hull, something the U.S. might use in this case, Schuster said. He added that North Korea’s maritime industry may not be progressing enough.

North Korean state media have previously reported that the damage was not as serious as initially concerned, with the hull having no holes, although it scratched along the side and some seawater entered the stern. It estimates that repairs may take about 10 days – despite analysts’ skepticism.

Schuster had previously told CNN that repairs could take up to six months, depending on how far the hull is damaged, how much water is entering the warship and how many “salt shells” may form on metal surfaces, such as joints.

The unstable position of the ship also makes salvage operations extremely complicated. “Putting it in half, half is the worst case scenario,” said Decker Eveleth, an associate research analyst at CNA, a nonprofit that specializes in defense research.

He added that the action would be easier if the ship had been completely covered in water or if it landed completely on the land. “But because it’s half on land, half on water – if you try to pull out the sinking half, you’re at risk of twisting and breaking the keel,” Eveleth said, referring to the structural spine that runs along the bottom of the ship. “If you do this, the entire ship will be rubbish.”

Childes said North Korea may have to cut the ship into pieces and then try to save what it can do, because correcting it from its current location is a very complex task.

“Usually the only way you clear the dock is to remove at least a portion of the boat to make the operation easier, tow away what you have left and tow it away and decide whether you rebuild or abolish it,” he said.

CNN’s Jessie Yeung contributed to the report.

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