No, it’s not some radical new punk rock band from the far east: “Atomic tsunami” is a much more literal, and terrifying, threat.
The idea has been around for a while – equipping torpedoes with massive nuclear payloads and detonating them in such a position as to send a radioactive wall of ocean water crashing into coastal cities.
The idea was first conceived by Russia, but recent tests of their “doomsday” device appear to have failed.
As if Vladimir Putin wasn’t unstable enough, reports now indicate that Kim Jong Un may possess a similar weapon.
North Korea said Friday it had tested a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone designed to launch a “radioactive tsunami,” as its leader Kim Jong Un vowed to make his rivals “plunge into despair.”
The test of the purported new weapon was the latest in a series of simulated attacks as Pyongyang escalated its nuclear threats while the United States and South Korea held joint military exercises.
Do we need to be worried?
Analysts were skeptical about the extent of any new threat, but said the claims showed North Korea’s determination to showcase growing capabilities in order to strengthen its hand in dealing with the West.
The weapon’s potential was terrifying, however.
The nuclear-capable drone called “Haeil” — meaning tsunami in Korean — can be deployed from the coast or towed by a ship in order to destroy naval strike groups or enemy ports, the state-run KCNA news agency reported.
Kim and Co. have been cozying up to Vladimir Putin and the rest of the Axis of Authoritarianism in recent months, as fears of a third world war continue to swirl.
