Choe Hyon Completes Sea Trials; Kim Plans 10 New Destroyers
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- Choe Hyon sailed under its own power for the first time since its April 25, 2025 commissioning, completing operational tests March 3-4 that Kim Jong Un praised for meeting naval modernization requirements and demonstrating an "excellent" control system.
- Kim Jong Un supervised a sea-to-surface strategic cruise missile launch on March 4, calling it a key evaluation of the destroyer's combat capability and a "responsible exercise of the country's war deterrent," while confirming that nuclear armament of the navy was "progressing satisfactorily."
- Kim Jong Un announced plans to build at least two Choe Hyon-class or more advanced destroyers annually — at least ten over five years — and inspected a third hull under construction at Nampo shipyard, with two more being built at Hambuk Shipyard in Chongjin.
- VLS modifications added 20 new anti-aircraft cells (10 per side) to the aft section following a hull extension, bringing Choe Hyon's total to 88 VLS cells and a potential load of up to 104 missiles when combined with 8 concealed inclined launchers and 8 Pantsir-style short-range missiles.
- The destroyer's forward VLS saw its 32 small-diameter launch cells replaced by 12 larger ones, while the aft section's original 10 oversized ballistic missile cells were first swapped for a 24-cell launcher mirroring the bow, then expanded by 20 additional cells to reach 64 aft cells.
Why it matters: North Korea's naval expansion is moving from rhetoric to hardware: Choe Hyon's first self-powered sea trial and cruise missile test coincided with Kim's commitment to build at least ten more such destroyers over five years, and his confirmation that nuclear armament of the fleet is "progressing satisfactorily."
