Quick Take: North Korea’s Newest Warships Unlikely to Have Sailed
The two newest warships in the North Korea’s naval fleet do not appear to have taken to the open seas since their ceremonial launches in April and June of this year.
Based on multiple medium-resolution commercial satellite images both ships appear to have remained at or close to port since they were launched. State media coverage has consistently pictured them moored, and Korean Central Television has yet to broadcast video of them sailing under their own power, suggesting they might not yet have fully functioning propulsion systems.
To date, two Choe Hyon-class warships have been publicly launched and a third is currently under construction. The first was launched at Nampho, where it was constructed under a shipbuilding hall built last year to keep progress under wraps.
On April 25, Kim Jong Un attended the ship’s launching ceremony that took place at a dock about 1.5 kilometers from the construction hall. Korean Central Television’s nearly hour-long report on the new ship never showed it away from the dock. Commercial satellite imagery showed the ship being moved to a dock near the construction hall on April 28, apparently being maneuvered into place by two tugs.
The following day, a weapons systems demonstration was performed in middle of the Taedonggang River, just off the dock. State media published several still images of the ship when it appeared stationary in the river, but no video was broadcast.
It does not appear to have moved since then.
Kim revisited the ship at Nampho on August 18. Several photos were published of him looking around the vessel, including some censored photos of the control room, but all showed the ship still at the dock.
The second Choe Hyon-class warship was built at Chongjin on North Korea’s east coast and was involved in a failed launch attempt on May 21. The ship ended up sitting on its side in Chongjin Port for several days before being righted and towed north to a drydock at Rason Port. It was ceremonially launched by Kim Jong Un in Rason on June 12.
It remained in the drydock until earlier this week. On August 23, commercial satellite imagery showed the ship had been moved back to Chongjin, guided into port by two tugs. It has since been moored at the port.
