New satellite imagery indicates that North Korea is constructing what appears to be its largest and most sophisticated warship to date at the Nampo shipyard on its western coast, potentially doubling the size of any current vessel in the DPRK’s naval fleet.
Imagery captured on April 6 by Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs reveals continued work on a guided-missile frigate (FFG) estimated to measure approximately 140 meters (459 feet) in length. This marks a significant advancement in North Korean naval architecture and force projection capability.
The analysis, conducted by Joseph Bermudez Jr. and Jennifer Jun of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), notes the vessel is likely designed to accommodate vertical launch systems (VLS) for deploying missiles against both land and maritime targets. Such a configuration suggests North Korea may be seeking to emulate modern blue-water naval capabilities, which are typically seen in more advanced navies.
For context, the FFG under construction is approaching the dimensions of the U.S. Navy’s new Constellation-class frigates (496 feet) and not far behind the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (505 feet), though its operational capabilities remain speculative.
This development aligns with Pyongyang’s ongoing military modernization program. Despite enduring sanctions under multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, North Korea has tested a range of advanced systems in recent years – including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and what it claims are hypersonic glide vehicles.
The Nampo frigate’s design appears to incorporate vertical launch cells and phased-array radar systems, according to analysts, suggesting a leap in both offensive and defensive capabilities. Such features, if operationalized, would represent a significant upgrade over North Korea’s existing fleet, which has largely consisted of aging Soviet-era vessels and domestically produced corvettes and patrol boats.
Still, experts advise caution in assessing the platform’s future readiness. “Modern warships represent an integration challenge of communications, electronics, weapons, and both electronic and acoustic sensor technologies,” said Carl Schuster, a former U.S. Navy captain and maritime analyst based in Hawaii. “Almost any shipbuilder can construct the hull. The real challenge is the integration of systems.”
The cost of building and sustaining such a platform is also under scrutiny. South Korean lawmaker Kim Byung-kee, a member of the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee, recently questioned whether Pyongyang possesses the fiscal or logistical capacity to support the vessel post-launch, particularly in areas such as fuel, maintenance, and crew training.
Yet analysts warn against complacency. Retired ROK Navy Admiral Kim Duk-ki noted that North Korea’s strengthened ties with Russia – especially since the onset of the Ukraine war – may be providing Pyongyang with advanced missile technologies and integration expertise. He further cautioned that if the vessel is ultimately equipped with the hypersonic ballistic missile reportedly tested in January, it could be a “game changer” in the region’s naval power balance.
Schuster, after reviewing the latest imagery, estimates that the ship remains at least a year away from sea trials, citing the absence of superstructure elements, sensor arrays, and weapons systems.
While uncertainties remain about the vessel’s operational timeline and capabilities, it is clear that North Korea intends to join the ranks of nations capable of fielding larger, more versatile surface combatants, signaling a potential evolution in both strategy and posture in the Indo-Pacific.
North Korea Accelerates Naval Modernization Amid Hypersonic Ambitions, U.S. Command Warns
While North Korea’s naval fleet remains numerically significant, its qualitative shortcomings are drawing renewed attention amid Pyongyang’s escalating modernization efforts, spanning from new surface warships to advanced missile technologies, including hypersonic systems.
According to the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) 2021 assessment, the Korean People’s Navy maintains an inventory of approximately 400 patrol combatants and 70 submarines. However, the bulk of these assets are considered outdated and limited in capability. Most vessels are small, aging platforms ill-suited for modern warfare beyond coastal defense roles.
Defense analyst Joseph Dempsey of the International Institute for Strategic Studies notes that North Korea’s fleet of principal surface combatants is essentially restricted to two Najin-class frigates, 1,600-ton platforms originating from the early 1970s. In a January analysis, Dempsey described the frigates as “obsolete,” illustrating the widening capability gap between North Korea’s surface forces and those of regional adversaries such as South Korea and the United States.
Nevertheless, under Kim Jong Un’s directive, Pyongyang is pressing forward with an aggressive naval modernization strategy. In addition to the under-construction 140-meter guided-missile frigate at Nampo shipyard (believed to be the largest surface combatant ever developed by North Korea) new assets are reportedly in progress at multiple shipyards.
South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong-won confirmed that work is also underway on a nuclear-powered submarine in Sinpo and a possible second frigate or destroyer in Chongjin. These developments signal a strategic pivot toward expanding blue-water operational potential and deterrence posture beyond North Korea’s traditional littoral constraints.
Kim has also overseen preparations for a new naval port to accommodate these larger warships.
Simultaneously, U.S. military officials are voicing growing concern over Pyongyang’s accelerating missile programs. During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing this week, U.S. Forces Korea commander General Xavier T. Brunson stated that North Korea is likely to develop both hypersonic and multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) within the next year.
“In the coming year, we expect [North Korea] to further develop hypersonic and multiple, independently targetable re-entry vehicle capabilities to complete their government’s goals,” Gen. Brunson told lawmakers, underscoring the regime’s ongoing commitment to expanding its strategic strike options despite increasing international isolation.
To date, North Korea has launched over 47 ballistic missiles while intensifying research and development on both cruise and hypersonic glide vehicle technologies. This rapid progress is believed to be supported, in part, by renewed military-industrial cooperation with Russia, as Pyongyang shifts its strategic doctrine away from unification and toward permanent sovereignty.
He further emphasized the strategic deterrence role of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK): “What USFK provides is the potential to impose cost in the East Sea to Russia, the potential to impose cost in the West Sea to China, and to continue to deter against North Korea as it currently stands.”
North Korea’s Military Behavior
At the dawn of 2024, Kim Jong Un formally abandoned the long-standing doctrine of peaceful reunification rooted in Korean nationalism and instead introduced a two-state theory – effectively signaling a strategic and ideological rupture with South Korea. This shift laid the groundwork for a more aggressive military posture. Throughout the year, North Korea continued its belligerent approach, blending high-profile strategic provocations with lower-intensity hostilities. Yet, despite expectations of a heightened military campaign, the intensity of provocations remained relatively restrained.
In the first half of the year, Pyongyang carried out a series of strategic weapon tests. However, as the year progressed, its focus pivoted to low-intensity activities targeting South Korea, while simultaneously deepening its military involvement in the Ukraine war. This transition suggests that from mid-2024 onwards, North Korea has strategically opted to maintain a calibrated level of tension through persistent, low-level provocations, rather than triggering outright escalation.
In total, North Korea conducted 22 tests and training launches involving strategic weapons in 2024. Of these, a striking 81% were centered on tactical nuclear delivery systems – underscoring a persistent focus on enhancing battlefield nuclear capabilities. Key developments included the unveiling of two hypersonic medium-range ballistic missiles, notably the Hwasong-16n, and the Hwasong-19, a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). However, Pyongyang’s effort to validate its ICBM capabilities through a satellite reconnaissance launch faltered, particularly following a failed launch in May 2024.
Compared to 2023, the frequency of strategic provocations dropped, but North Korea pivoted toward the operational deployment of nuclear systems and actively demonstrated its capacity for nuclear weapon mass production. Missile launch vehicles and uranium enrichment facilities were deployed in a way that showcased not just technological advancement but battlefield readiness.
The regime continued to weaponize the gray zone – executing provocations that stop short of conventional warfare. From dispersing “sewage balloons” across the border to jamming GPS signals and broadcasting propaganda, North Korea sustained a campaign of asymmetric disruption. Infrastructure sabotage, including the destruction of inter-Korean roads, railways, and power lines, further heightened tensions along the border. These acts, while aggressive, appear to reflect a broader strategy of reinforcing domestic defenses rather than triggering full-scale conflict.
This deliberate use of low-intensity measures appears to be a calculated effort to conserve resources while maintaining adversarial pressure, setting the stage for a potential escalation in 2025. This strategic buildup has been buoyed by deepening North Korea-Russia relations.
On June 19, 2024, Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a sweeping strategic partnership agreement. By October, the alliance had evolved into a full-fledged military partnership, with Pyongyang dispatching an estimated 11,000 troops to support Russian operations in Ukraine. In return, North Korea is believed to have received advanced weapons, as well as nuclear and missile technologies, which could serve as the foundation for more audacious provocations in the near future.
Policy Implications for South Korea
As 2025 marks the final year of North Korea’s current five-year defense development plan, the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party, and the beginning of the second term for Donald Trump, it is widely anticipated that Pyongyang will escalate its military activities against both South Korea and the United States.
This potential for heightened tensions mirrors the volatile climate of 2017, which ultimately transitioned into diplomatic engagement in 2018. It is likely that North Korea aims to replicate this tension-escalation-to-negotiation cycle to its advantage.
For the South Korean government, this scenario amid Trump administration presents layered challenges, although the current military posture remains stable, there is concern about the strength of the command structure during this transitional period.
Trump’s transactional approach to alliances suggests that demands for greater defense cost-sharing or a reduction in U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) could be a challenge. Should South Korean leadership hesitate in making swift and strategic decisions, the cohesion and effectiveness of the ROK-U.S. alliance could be undermined.
In light of this, it is imperative for Seoul and Washington to maintain a united and consistent front. North Korea’s involvement in the Ukraine war introduces additional complexity that could factor into broader geopolitical negotiations, particularly as the Trump administration seeks a grand bargain to resolve the conflict.
