North Korea’s Newest Destroyer Capsizes In Embarrassing Launch Failure.
North Korea faced a significant setback last week when its newest 5,000-ton destroyer, the largest warship class the country has ever built, capsized during its launch in Chongjin, a port city on the northeastern coast. The incident, witnessed by leader Kim Jong-un, has been labelled a “criminal act” by the regime, with three shipyard officials, including the chief engineer, and a senior munitions official arrested, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
Analysts attribute the mishap to North Korea’s inexperience with the sideways launch technique used to maneuver the 470-foot-long vessel into the water, marking the first time the country has employed this method for a warship. Experts also point to political pressure from Mr. Kim for rapid results as a contributing factor. Satellite imagery captured three days before the incident showed the destroyer positioned on a launch ramp, with a viewing area under construction approximately 40 meters away, likely where Mr. Kim observed the failed launch.
The warship, assembled at a shipyard typically used for smaller vessels like cargo ships and fishing boats, was intended to rival the Choe Hyon guided missile destroyer, North Korea’s first and most powerful surface ship. The Choe Hyon, a cornerstone of Mr. Kim’s plans to modernise the nation’s Soviet-era naval fleet, was celebrated at a grand christening ceremony last month in Nampo, near Pyongyang. A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington noted that the Chongjin shipyard “undoubtedly” lacked the expertise required to build and launch such a large warship.
The capsizing represents a humiliating blow to North Korea’s naval ambitions, raising questions about the regime’s ability to execute its military modernisation plans effectively.
