Armament despite sanctions Satellite images show North Korea's largest warship under construction
New satellite images indicate that North Korea is working on a warship. This is said to be larger than anything previously seen in the fleet of ruler Kim Jong Un.
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- New satellite images show that North Korea may be building its largest warship to date.
- This is likely to be a 140-meter-long guided missile frigate with modern missile systems.
- Despite UN sanctions, North Korea could achieve military technological progress through closer cooperation with Russia.
- Experts warn against overestimating the complexity of building such ships.
New satellite images show that North Korea may be working on its largest warship.
The images taken by Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs on April 6 show the ship under construction at the Nampo shipyard on the west coast of North Korea, around 60 kilometers southwest of Pyongyang.
Experts suspect that it is a guided missile frigate equipped with vertical launch tubes for missiles. These could be used against both land and sea targets
According to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the ship is around 140 meters long. This would make it the largest warship ever built in North Korea.
State-of-the-art weapons on board
Despite the strict UN sanctions restricting access to materials and technology, North Korea has recently modernized its armed forces and developed new weapons.
Closer relations with Russia since the start of the Ukraine war could help North Korea to circumvent these sanctions, according to analysts.
Images of the warship were already shown on North Korean state television at the end of last year, when Kim Jong Un inspected the construction work.
The images indicate that the ship could be equipped with modern weapons systems, including vertical launch cells and phased array radar.
North Korea's fleet to be modernized
However, experts warn against overestimating North Korea's capabilities. Building modern warships requires the integration of complex systems, which is a major challenge.
A South Korean MP expressed doubts about North Korea's technical ability to build and operate such a ship.
The North Korean navy consists of around 400 patrol boats and 70 submarines, most of which are old and small. However, Kim Jong Un has plans to modernize the fleet, including the development of submarine-launched missiles and the construction of new naval bases.
A South Korean MP reported that in addition to the ship in Nampo, a nuclear-powered submarine in Sinpo and another warship in Chongjin are also under construction. These developments are part of Kim's efforts to modernize and expand North Korea's naval forces.
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.
