Kim Jong Un Celebrates Launch of Ballistic Missile Frigate
North Korea has unveiled a new class of heavily-armed frigate, a 5,000-tonne warship that possesses an unusually large array of weaponry. Given its fittings, and North Korea's claims, it is likely capable of launching ballistic missiles - and nuclear payloads.
Nampo Shipyard's newly-launched Choi Hyon is the first warship in North Korea that is fitted with vertical launch systems - and more than just one type. Just forward of the deckhouse, a block of VLS hatches shows two different sizes of cell - 32 small cells and twelve medium, 44 in total. Aft, there are 12 more small hatches, eight medium hatches, and 10 unusually large hatches, 30 in total. Taken altogether there are 74 cells of various types, just shy of the 80 cells on a Zumwalt-class destroyer. Amidships, there is a structure that likely conceals additional racks for angle-launched cruise missiles.
Courtesy KCNA
In addition to its abundance of above-deck missile tubes and relatively compact size, Choi Hyun's most visible feature may be its short-range air defense system. The War Zone notes that it appears to be identical to the Russian Pantsir-ME, and if functioning, it would be a thorny obstacle for an inbound aerial threat. The Pantsir-ME has a pair of Gatling guns co-mounted with eight short-range antiaircraft missiles, offering multiple ways to address inbound drones, aircraft or cruise missiles. Russia is deeply indebted to North Korea for the provision of arms, ammunition and manpower for the war in Ukraine, and it is possible that an advanced air defense system was part of the two sides' exchange.
In South Korea, the guest list attracted as much attention as the ship itself. Supreme leader Kim Jong Un attended the launch, accompanied by his daughter, referred to in Korean media as Kim Ju-ae. The younger Kim is believed to be 12-13 years old, and her identity is shrouded by the Kim family's preference for secrecy; even her name is a subject of debate. She has appeared alongside Kim Jong Un regularly at major state occasions and weapons tests, raising speculation that she could be in line as an heir to the North's hereditary leadership.