(Tribune News Service) — North Korea is building its largest warship ever. New satellite images analyzed by CNN show a vessel in an advanced stage of assembly at the Nampo shipyard, on the country’s west coast, about 60 kilometers from Pyongyang.

According to analysts, it would be a missile frigate about 140 meters long, more than twice the size of the current units in service in the North Korean fleet.

The project comes as no surprise to international observers. Kim Jong-un’s regime has been engaged for years in a rapid modernization of its armed forces, developing new weapon systems and testing intercontinental ballistic missiles despite sanctions imposed by the United Nations. According to some analysts cited by CNN, increasingly close ties with Russia, strengthened after the start of the war in Ukraine, may have helped Pyongyang circumvent some of these restrictions.

The ship, similar in size to the U.S. Navy’s Constellation frigates, appear to be designed to accommodate vertical missile launchers and active electronically scanned array radars, technologies never before seen in the North Korean navy. However, experts urge caution: building the hull is only the first step, but integrating communication systems, sensors, weapons and propulsion represents a complex technological challenge.

According to Carl Schuster, a former U.S. Navy captain, it will be at least another year before the North Korean frigate is ready for sea trials. Fundamental superstructures and various electronic and weapon systems are still missing. In addition to the technical difficulties, there is also the unknown factor of resources. “Operating a ship of this size involves high costs, from personnel to fuel, and a single warship cannot operate alone,” South Korean lawmaker Kim Byung-kee pointed out.

Although the South Korean navy has about 400 patrol boats and 70 submarines, most of the vessels are obsolete and intended for simple coastal duties in the event of conflict. However, the North Korean leader seems determined to change course: new shipyards have emerged in Sinpo and Chongjin, where a nuclear-powered submarine and another frigate or destroyer are reportedly under construction.

The design of the new ship also appeared in a video released by North Korean state television in late 2023, during a plenary session of the Workers’ Party. Kim Jong-un was filmed personally inspecting the work. A sign, according to analysts, of the strategic importance attached by the regime to this new naval platform.

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