North Korea is constructing another large military vessel, which is expected to have a hull length of approximately 117 meters and a width of 16 meters. This project began in May 2024, but details have only recently become available to the public.
The construction process of this ship can be observed through satellite images analyzed by the South Korean analytical institution SI Analytics nK Insight, which are published by NK News.
To elaborate on this "another large vessel," it is worth noting that North Korea is currently building a 3000-ton military ship likely classified as a "frigate," which may resemble the unrealized Russian project "Dersky." This vessel is expected to feature vertical launch systems for anti-aircraft, anti-ship, and cruise missiles.
Continuing with the aforementioned 117-meter North Korean ship, there are also indications of a compartment for vertical launch systems for various types of missiles, as well as space for a bow-mounted artillery system.
Interestingly, the North Koreans have erected protective screens over this ship, which complicates the clear identification of what is seen in the satellite images.
The details regarding the hull length and the potential presence of vertical launch systems are significant, as until now, the most powerful type of North Korean combat ships were considered to be the Amnok-class corvettes, which have a hull length of 80 meters and a displacement of 1500 tons, with the main armament consisting of four horizontally mounted launchers for cruise missiles.
At this time, South Korean analysts are not making any assumptions about the extent to which North Korea may rely on assistance from Russia in the construction of the two ships mentioned above.
They are simply noting the fact that over the past year, the North Korean regime has begun to make systematic efforts to strengthen its navy, which had previously been considered a "weak link" in the North's military machine.
Earlier, Defense Express reported on what the reactor launch on the cruiser "Admiral Nakhimov" indicates, where the Russians have invested $5 billion and plan to install as many as 80 missiles.
