North Korea's New Warship: Facts Behind the Satellite Images
written by a member of the WCB
Recent satellite imagery captured on April 6, 2025, has revealed what appears to be North Korea's largest domestically produced warship under construction at the Nampo Naval Shipyard on the country's west coast, approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of Pyongyang.
Details About the Vessel
The ship, identified as a guided-missile frigate (FFG), measures approximately 140 meters (459 feet) in length, making it significantly larger than any previous North Korean naval vessel. For context, this is still smaller than comparable U.S. Navy vessels - the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are about 505 feet long, while the under-construction Constellation-class frigates will be 496 feet long.
According to analysis by Joseph Bermudez Jr. and Jennifer Jun at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the warship is currently in the outfitting phase - the final stage before delivery. The satellite images show ongoing construction of weapons and other internal systems, with the vessel positioned on a floating dry dock that measures around 120 meters in length.
Technical Capabilities
The ship appears designed to carry missiles in vertical launch tubes for use against targets on land and sea. Images shown in a Korean Central Television report from late last year revealed that the warship could feature vertical launch cells similar to those used by modern navies.
Analysts have also noted that the vessel seems configured to incorporate phased-array radar systems, which would enable it to track threats and targets more quickly and accurately than previously displayed North Korean naval capabilities.
North Korea's current naval fleet consists of approximately 400 patrol combatants and 70 submarines according to a 2021 U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report. However, most of these vessels are old and small. The country's two principal surface combatants - Najin-class frigates - are 1,600-ton warships dating back to the early 1970s and are considered obsolete by modern standards.
In September, Kim Jong Un inspected the site for a new naval port, stating: "Now that we are soon to possess large surface warships and submarines which cannot be anchored at the existing facilities for mooring warships, the construction of a naval base for running the latest large warships has become a pressing task."
Additional Naval Developments
According to South Korean lawmaker Yu Yong-won, the frigate at the Nampo shipyard is only one example of North Korea's naval modernization efforts. Reports indicate that a nuclear-powered submarine is under construction at a shipyard in Sinpo, and another frigate or destroyer is being built in Chongjin.
Carl Schuster, a former U.S. Navy captain and analyst, estimates that it will likely take another year or more of work before the new North Korean warship can begin sea trials, noting that "this ship's construction is being delayed by the lack of the superstructure, sensor and weapons systems intended for installation."
The vessel under construction is believed to be the same one that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was shown inspecting in early 2025, according to state media reports.