The new naval combatants North Korea is building at Nampo and Chongjin ports measure approximately 143 meters in length and 16-17 meters in width, making them the largest combat ships in the North Korean Navy. They appear to be equipped with helipads on their sterns. It is anticipated that they will be fitted with systems such as phased-array radar and integrated combat command systems in the future, likely with Russian support.

North Korea’s construction of these large warships seems driven by a dual purpose. Firstly, on the international stage, they aim to acquire SLBM capability launched from submarines – supplementing their land-based ICBMs for striking the U.S. – and these new warships appear designed to offer protective capability for those submarines during deployment. Secondly, towards South Korea, they seem intended to serve as an effective tool for demonstrating military force as part of a coercive strategy relying on nuclear weapons.