North Korea on June 23, 2026 held official commissioning ceremony for its currently largest ship in history 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class destroyer with 145-meter hull and 88 launch cells for various missile types.
This ship was launched in April 2025 and previous 14 months underwent intensive testing. Commissioning of Choe Hyon destroyer itself can be interpreted as DPRK managing to surpass russia specifically in naval weapons segment.
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Some important clarifications on this story are contained in Naval News portal publication. Specifically there it is indicated North Korean destroyer Choe Hyon can carry as many as 88 missiles of various types, not 74 as previously believed.
Also indicated there is that North Korea already planned transition to building 10,000-ton displacement warships classified as missile cruisers with strategic weapons carrier status, meaning nuclear weapons delivery assets. Separate Choe Hyon features worth noting 64 launchers are located in stern section, other 24 launchers in bow section. Besides that, weapons package of this ship includes surface-to-air gun-missile system resembling copy of russian Pantsir-M.
Defense Express further emphasizes following. Back in May 2025 it became known DPRK at rapid pace is surpassing russia, building second Choe Hyon-class destroyer after launching first a month earlier.
By Pacific region standards, two North Korean missile destroyers is extremely few compared for example with China (about 50 destroyers), Japan (38 destroyers) or even South Korea (10 destroyers).
However, two destroyers immediately at North Korea's disposal is already clear advantage over russian Pacific Fleet, which generally has no destroyers in its composition. Fleet surface force core is one Project 1164 Atlant missile cruiser Varyag with 16 P-500 Bazalt missiles, plus four Project 1155 frigates, two of which undergo modernization for modern missile weapons.
Thus it turns out that in naval weapons segment, North Korea managed to surpass russia by actually building two 145-meter destroyers for 88 missiles of various types.
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