To confront Washington and will be seen. North Korea tests its new naval destroyer
North Korea has announced a critical phase of modernizing its naval arsenal, with President Kim Jong Un personally overseeing the extensive navigational test of the modern Choi Hyun 51 destroyer.
Kim sailed aboard the destroyer, one of the country's largest classes of warships, for 120 nautical miles in the West Sea, in preparation for its official deployment scheduled for mid-June.
The move comes in the context of Pyongyang's efforts to strengthen its deterrence and combat capabilities in the face of military moves by the United States and South Korea.
Destroyer No. 51. 'Nuclear fist' in open water
The public appearance of the Choi Hyun is the first of its kind in open water, after its previous experiences were limited to protected areas in Nambu Bay.
Official reports confirmed that the ship is equipped with multiple vertical launch systems, designed to carry ballistic and winged missiles with nuclear warheads. During his visit, Kim directed to accelerate the construction of the third and fourth destroyers of the same class, considering these plans of a strategic nature to strengthen naval nuclear power.
Coinciding with the destroyer's test, the Korean leader discussed "critical" missions to establish a massive naval base on the east coast, which would be dedicated to hosting 5,000-ton destroyers and modern submarines.
The new destroyer's sailing around the Korean Peninsula next month is expected to raise high alert for Washington and Seoul, especially as Pyongyang seeks to fill gaps in maritime infrastructure that have faced faltering in previous periods.
Delay pursues second destroyer
Despite the celebration of the first destroyer, the fate of the second destroyer, Kang Kun, No. 52 in the Chongjin Basin, remains unclear.
Observers believe the development of the second ship is likely to face technical obstacles after it suffered a "capse" accident during a failed inauguration ceremony last year. While construction of the third destroyer continues in the Nambu Basin, the second destroyer has not recorded any announced naval or missile tests to date.
Away from the sea, inspection tours showed a massive acceleration in conventional weapons production, with Kim overseeing the manufacture of winged missile launchers and 155mm self-propelled howitzers. The Korean command confirmed that the current pace of production is sufficient to equip three full artillery battalions, which will be deployed this year within long-range artillery units on the southern border.
"Urgent" update of factories to address "shortcomings"
Inside the Kosong Tank Plant, Kim reviewed production results for the first half of the year, acknowledging that there were some technical "shortcomings."
Kim stressed that the modernization of military facilities has become an "urgent task" that cannot be postponed, announcing that the factory development file will be presented at an upcoming expanded meeting of the ruling party.
The report focused on self-propelled guns with a range of up to 60 kilometers, and new tracked platforms for Hawasal nuclear missiles, which give the army greater maneuverability in rough terrain.