Just days after its official unveiling, the Navy of North Korea has carried out a demonstration of the capabilities of its new guided missile destroyer. Through a series of official photographs, the “Choe Hyon”—the official designation of the new ship—conducted a series of tests of its combat and weapon systems, including the launch of various types of missiles and the firing of its main gun and close-in air defense systems.
Although the official statement was issued by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), it indicated that the “Choe Hyon” underwent a series of tests for the “… performance and combat application of the installed weapon systems,” carried out by the DPRK Missile Administration, the Academy of Defense Sciences, and the Detection and Electronic Warfare Administration. The tests took place on April 28 and were monitored by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
As with the images released days earlier during the destroyer’s unveiling, the new photo sequence officially published by the North Korean regime shows that two different types of missiles were launched initially.
On this point, it is worth highlighting that the vessel is equipped with a significant vertical launch system (VLS), reportedly made up of “… 32 small cells, 12 medium, 20 larger than the previous ones, and 10 even larger,” suggesting it is capable of launching various types of missiles—from those meant to defend the destroyer to others focused on anti-surface warfare. There is even speculation about the presence of ballistic missiles.
Returning to the April 28 test, the “Choe Hyon,” though the exact launch order is unknown, carried out the launch of what appears to be a long-range Hwasal-2 cruise missile. This is a noteworthy detail, as this type of missile has previously been tested from the new Amnok-class corvettes.
Also notable was the launch, from the VLS located at the bow of the ship, of a supersonic missile whose designation has not been disclosed and which could be part of the destroyer’s air defense system.
Regarding the capabilities of these new missiles, the statement notes that the North Korean leader praised “…the Korean-style naval firepower system, highlighting how remarkable it is for effectively combining the most powerful offensive means—including supersonic cruise missiles, strategic cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic missiles—with the conventional defensive systems of the warship.”
Later, firing tests were also carried out with the main gun, presumably a 127mm caliber, as well as with 30mm AK-630-type CIWS close-in defense systems.
Finally, several questions remain unanswered—mainly regarding the types of missiles that could be launched from the 10 largest VLS containers located near the ship’s flight deck. One possibility mentioned by various analysts is that they could house up to ten short-range ballistic missiles from the Hwasong-11 family. However, there is still no concrete data to support this assumption.
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