How the DPRK is building its largest warship
14 April 2025 20:30
New satellite images from Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs for April 6 show the construction of a warship in North Korea, which could become the largest in the country’s fleet.
This was reported by CNN, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The images show the ship being built at the Nampo shipyard on the west coast of North Korea, about 60 kilometers southwest of Pyongyang.
What do analysts say?
According to analysts, this is a frigate with vertical missile launchers that can be used against targets on land and at sea.
“The frigate is approximately 140 meters long, making it the largest warship produced in North Korea,” says an analysis by Joseph Bermudez Jr. and Jennifer Jun of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, based in Washington, DC.
For comparison, the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are about 154 meters long, and the new Constellation-class frigates are 151 meters long.
Analysts also noted that the new North Korean frigate appears to be equipped with a phased array radar that can track threats and targets faster and more accurately than other ships.
Former U.S. Navy captain and Hawaii-based analyst Carl Shuster, reviewing satellite imagery, said there is likely a year or more of work left before the new North Korean warship can begin sea trials.
“The construction of this ship is delayed due to the lack of superstructure, sensor and weapon systems intended for installation,” he said.
Former South Korean Navy Admiral Kim Duk-ki suggests that Russia may be helping the DPRK with missile technology that allows it to circumvent UN sanctions.
It is also reported that Pyongyang is building new ports for large ships and submarines, including a port in Sinpo, where a nuclear submarine is likely to be built.
According to the latest estimate by the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the DPRK Navy has about 400 warships and 70 submarines, most of them outdated and small. The basis of the fleet is made up of Najin-class frigates of the 1970s. According to US intelligence estimates, in the event of a war, the North Korean fleet would be limited to coastal defense due to the significant superiority of the United States and South Korea.
