North Korea’s New Frigate Assessments Its Weapons Days After Commissioning

Imagery has emerged exhibiting North Korea’s closely armed new frigate, the Choi Hyon, firing quite a lot of weapons from its giant array of vertical launch system (VLS) cells. The missiles seen seem to incorporate a beforehand unknown air protection missile and probably a brand new supersonic cruise missile. The warship was solely formally unveiled final weekend, as you can read about in our earlier detailed evaluation of it.

The imagery in query was launched in the present day by North Korean state media and reveals the Choi Hyon throughout weapons testing off Nampo, on the west coast of the nation, which is alleged to have taken place from April 28-29. State media additionally claims that take a look at firings of supersonic cruise missiles, strategic cruise missiles, and anti-aircraft missiles, in addition to the primary gun, occurred on the twenty eighth, adopted by firings of “fleet tactical guided weapons,” numerous onboard machine weapons, smokescreens, and countermeasures dispensers on the twenty ninth.

Whereas imagery emphasizes the frigate’s heavy armament match, it additionally factors to what sorts of missiles are carried within the numerous VLS cells.

Beginning on the entrance of the vessel, there are 32 small cells positioned behind the primary gun. Instantly aft of those is a financial institution of 12 medium-sized VLS cells. At the least a few of these small or medium-sized cells are loaded with a surface-to-air missile, seen launched throughout the firing trials. This appears to be of a sort not beforehand recognized — and positively not in a naval context.

In the meantime, the VLS arrays on the rear of the vessel are proven launching two totally different sorts of cruise missiles. This might nicely be in line with the totally different sizes of VLS cells on the stern: certainly one of these has eight cells; one has 12 cells, similar-sized however considerably totally different in form to the medium-sized cells on the bow; the financial institution nearest to the flight deck has 10 bigger VLS cells.

One of many missiles fired from the strict magazines seems to be the Hwasal-2 long-range cruise missile, or a variant of it. North Korea has previously test-launched the Hwasal-2 from its new Amnok class corvette. Notably, the missile is claimed to have strategic functionality, implying an optionally available nuclear warhead, though this could’t be confirmed. We believed this is able to be a key a part of the frigate’s armament in our recent report.

The opposite weapon fired from the strict magazines can not instantly be recognized however has been described by North Korean state media as a “supersonic cruise missile.”

Once more, what we see right here means that it is a beforehand unseen missile design, though it’s additionally potential that the imagery has been digitally manipulated. At first sight, nevertheless, the missile in query appears to have a attribute ‘dolphin-shaped’ ahead part, one thing that we’ve seen in scramjet missile designs. An unique type of propulsion would definitely be a technique of attaining excessive speeds, though it’s actually not the one choice for a supersonic cruise missile and is extra sometimes related to hypersonic missile designs. On the similar time, the unswept tailfins level to the potential of a booster/sustainer association.