Pyongyang [North Korea], April 30: North Korea's new destroyer conducted its first weapons tests this week, and leader Kim Jong-un called for strengthening the navy's nuclear capabilities.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on April 30 that under the supervision of leader Kim Jong-un, North Korea conducted a test of the combat application of weapons systems on the Choe Hyon destroyer on April 28-29.
The Choe Hyon, which has a displacement of 5,000 tons, is a multi-role destroyer launched by North Korea last week, equipped with a variety of weapons to significantly increase naval operations. The ship is equipped with hypersonic strategic cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles and other offensive weapons.
North Korea test-fired the aforementioned missiles along with anti-aircraft missiles and 127 mm automatic machine guns on April 28. The next day, North Korea tested launching ship-to-ship tactical guided missiles, automatic machine guns, smoke munitions and electronic jammers.
Leader Kim Jong-un emphasized the need to improve the ship's weapon systems for short-term combat cooperation.
"It is time to create a responsible option for the promotion of naval nuclear weapons in order to protect the state and maritime sovereignty against current and future threats," Kim said.
According to Yonhap, North Korea has focused on building a system capable of nuclear strike from the sea.
Kim has called for the construction of more Choe Hyon-class warships and larger cruisers, as well as more corvettes next year and the development of a future nuclear-powered submarine force.
In March, North Korea released images of what appeared to be a nuclear-powered submarine under construction.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
