North Korea’s newest warship currently floating at the Nampo Shipyard just west of Pyeongyang is more than double the size of anything in Kim Jong-un’s naval fleet.
Earlier this week, images circulated online suggesting North Korea may be close to completing the construction of a domestic guided-missile frigate (FFG). Satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs on April 6 revealed the still-under-construction warship at the Nampo shipyard, located about sixty kilometers from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.
Though numerous countries around the world operate and even produce guided-missile frigates, CNN reports that the new warship could be “more than double the size of anything in leader Kim Jong-un’s naval fleet.”
The report further highlights that manufacturing capabilities are increasing in the Hermit Kingdom.
“The FFG is approximately 140 meters long, making it the largest warship manufactured in North Korea,” stated an analysis by Joseph Bermudez Jr. and Jennifer Jun at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in London published earlier this month.
If the dimensions are correct, and there is every reason to believe the analysis, the North Korean warship would be almost as large as the U.S. Navy’s new Constellation-class guided-missile frigates, which will be 496 feet in length.
The U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers are also about 505 feet long.
“It is unclear whether the new vessel is one of the two helicopter frigates (FFH) that North Korea declared it was manufacturing to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2023. If the frigate is equipped with helicopters, it would only be the second time the Korean People’s Navy has done so,” the CSIS report added.
North Korea Improves Its Navy at a Breakneck Pace
News of the construction of the first potential guided-missile frigate comes just weeks after North Korea also revealed that it was building a nuclear-powered submarine. Kim was seen on North Korean state TV in recent weeks visiting multiple shipyards, and it is believed the warship is one that he toured.
The frigate was only laid down last May, and production has been steady on the vessel. According to a report from Army Recognition, this may be a new class or a larger variant of North Korea’s Amnok-class or Duman-class frigates.
“Previous ships have varied significantly in configuration, incorporating systems ranging from Soviet-era radar to newer missile launchers, with some featuring reduced radar cross-section designs and locally produced 76mm or 100mm naval guns. The vessel at Nampho may also serve as a prototype for a new class of surface combatants intended to operate alongside nuclear-powered submarines, another program North Korea has stated it is pursuing,” Army Recognition explained.
It further denotes how Pyongyang made significant progress in its military modernization. Much of the focus and media attention has been on its testing of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), which could pose a threat to the continental United States.
Yet, the capabilities of a guided-missile frigate that could be potentially armed with the hypersonic missiles that North Korea claims to have developed should also be met with alarm.
North Korea’s Recent Successes Trace Back to Russian Technical Assistance
It is extremely likely that North Korea has benefited greatly from Russia’s modernization efforts, as Moscow is believed to provide technical expertise on several of the Hermit Kingdom’s military programs.
The two nations forged closer ties after Moscow faced sanctions for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine three years ago, while the United Nations had previously placed sanctions on Kim’s regime for its efforts to develop ICBMs and nuclear weapons.
Moscow isn’t just looking the other way; it is an active partner at this point in North Korea’s modernization!
While a few guided-missile frigates, even those armed with hypersonic missiles, won’t significantly transform the North Korean Navy into a true blue-water force, it will still be far more capable than it was just a few years ago, when it consisted mostly of small patrol combatants and aging submarines.
Pyongyang will be able to project power into the West Sea and beyond, which coincides with efforts to build a nuclear-powered submarine.
As Brandon J. Weichert previously wrote for The National Interest, “If operational, such a submarine would ensure that North Korea has a second-strike capability, allowing it to launch retaliatory nuclear strikes from underwater, an ability that is notoriously difficult to detect and counter.”
These are threats that shouldn’t be overlooked and need to be taken seriously. The last thing the United States and its allies need is another potential adversary with advanced naval capabilities extending its reach into the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock/ Chintung Lee.
