General Naval News

[swerve]

Agree on that, this Ships will not be much a match to any ROKN new Frigates let alone Destroyers. However DPRK Navy still need to provide updated surface vessels. Considering their situation, those ships will be good exercise for their Shipyards. Perhaps in similar ways that Myanmar domestic build Frigates. Both isolated regimes and need to shown their Military Production to continue support their hold on to power.

Besides with the amounts of VLS they carry, I don't think DPRK plan for them to face ROKN vessels directly. More likely they are going to operate on coastal waters and launch salvo of their missiles, being covered by DPRK aerial assets. It won't make them Green Water Navy and still stay as Brown Water ones.

An expensive way of providing missile launchers. Land-based missile launchers plus more submarines would probably be more cost-effective.

 

[Ananda]

Land-based missile launchers plus more submarines would probably be more cost-effective.

The way they pack VLS on that ship, basically it is become equivalent of arsenal ship concept. Thus it bring more then any of their SSK can bring. Eventough it is most likely will operate from their coastal waters, still mobile enough.

It has helicopter deck but the hangar space being use to house VLS. In my opinion shown DPRK intention to pack as much as Missiles possible on every space. Thus this is shown indication of arsenal ship concept, build for DPRK Conditions. They claim it is build in 400 days, thus less then 2 years. Indicating this is not build for long endurance in their minds.

 

[swerve]

I didn't mean submarines as carriers of land-attack missiles, but as anti-ship platforms. If North Korea goes to war with the ROK, it'll have to fight the S. Korean navy, or S. Korean ships will be free to attack almost with impunity. It would also be advantageous for the DPRK to be able to attack merchant shipping heading for S. Korean ports. S. Korea's effectively an island. All its trade & travel is by sea or air.

A ship hugging the DPRK coast would be of little value for that, & it'd be more expensive than land-based missile launchers, even mobile ones, & it'd be a lot of eggs in one basket. It looks to me like a vanity project for Fat Man.

 

[Ananda]

Heavily Armed Missile Destroyer Joins North Korean Navy

North Korea has commissioned a heavily armed missile destroyer as largest and most advanced vessel to join its fleet on April 25 in Nampo.

www.navalnews.com

Naval News more complete assessment on the DPRK Destroyer. Together with the new corvettes and Submarines forces, shown DPRK intention to heavily invested toward their naval forces. Especially the surface forces, that seems neglected for years.

However personally I doubt the Naval News assessment for effort to build Blue Water navy. On contrary, looking on the Missiles set up, perhaps this is build to break potential Naval Blockade done by ROKN. ROKN are afterall still heavily outclass DPRK Naval forces.

 

[kato]

A ship hugging the DPRK coast would be of little value for that, & it'd be more expensive than land-based missile launchers, even mobile ones, & it'd be a lot of eggs in one basket. It looks to me like a vanity project for Fat Man.

The ship is probably intended primarily as a flagship for North Korea's coastal/EEZ surveillance navy, sort of replacing the Najin class, while adding a limited air intercept capability currently missing.

Its sole wartime function would likely be to dump a load of ballistic missiles and head back to port or anchorage - and possibly serve as an air defense asset for their base from there.

 

[koxinga]

KPA bot has nicely put together the photos of the firing tests.

While the ship looks finished on the surface and the tests seems to be an attempt to convince the world that it is finished, I don't think so. The photo below appears to show an empty bridge. There is also an absence of water discharge that is typical of working blige pumps.

As first of class, and with so many new systems put together, the fitting out, harbour acceptance tests should take years.

But no, they have to tow it out and fire off missiles (presumbly some juryrigging involved) right next to an anchorage and commercial port.

https://x.com/KPA_bot/status/1917335200079740997

 

[Ananda]

Their Missiles firing test from those photos that now circulating shown the front VLS are seems for SAM, while mid possition VLS seems for Cruise missile or SSM. This means potentially the speculation for the back possition VLS for ballistic missiles could be right. That's where the biggest VLS Cells and potentially the longest depth.



Personally I also interested with those doors. With back possition VLS occupied what supposedly hangar possition, two smaller doors either could be just some access doors or actually smaller hangar for UAV.

If this true, then the UAV potentially shown indications for surveillances or could be for missile mid range target correction functions. Something that ussualy done by helicopters. Or could be for kamikaze drones?


Add another angle of those doors and also the clearer image of Cruise Missiles they are launching from Mid Possition VLS Cells.