North Korea Plans Nuclear-Armed Fleet as Kim Unveils Warship Expansion Drive
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has announced plans to arm the country’s navy with nuclear weapons and build a fleet of 10,000-tonne warships, signalling a significant escalation in Pyongyang’s military ambitions.
Kim made the declaration on Tuesday at the commissioning ceremony of the Choe Hyon, a 5,000-tonne warship, in the port city of Nampho. State media outlet KCNA reported his remarks the following day.
“The program of equipping the Navy with nuclear weapons is following its planned course unerringly,” Kim told the ceremony. “This is a strategic course of crucial importance as it will make it possible to keep the nuclear force of our state ready for multifaceted and efficient operation,” he added.
Destroyer Follows, Then a New Class of Cruisers
Beyond the Choe Hyon, Kim announced the imminent commissioning of the destroyer Kang Kon, followed by a sustained warship-building program. “After that we will launch 10,000-ton strategic warships one after another,” he said, targeting the construction of two surface ships per year, including one 10,000-tonne cruiser annually.
A 10,000-tonne naval vessel, comparable in size to the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer or South Korea’s Sejong the Great-class at full load, typically stretches 150–170 meters, roughly the length of one and a half football pitches. Currently, South Korea operates more than ten ships exceeding 5,000 tonnes, compared to North Korea’s two.
Military studies professor Choi Gi-il of Sangji University said the target carries strategic significance. “A ship of that size will indicate Pyongyang’s determination not to fall further behind the maritime power of Seoul,” he said.
A Message to Washington
Analysts view the announcement as primarily a signal directed at the United States. “The key point is that North Korea sees these weapons as part of an effort to more effectively deter or impede US military intervention on the Korean Peninsula in the event of a conflict,” said Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at Kyungnam University.
He further warned that ship-launched cruise missiles armed with tactical nuclear warheads “would significantly increase the burden on South Korean and US militaries and drive up the costs of defence and deterrence.”
The announcement follows Kim’s pledge at a recent ruling party meeting to accelerate military modernisation, accusing Washington and Seoul of pushing the peninsula “to the brink of a nuclear war.” The United States stations approximately 28,500 troops in South Korea.
