Full Breakdown
North Korea Tests New Weapons and Announces Nuclear-Armed Naval Program
6/26/2026, 2:35:53 AM
New Weapons Tests and Naval Nuclear Program
On 25 June 2026, Kim Jong Un supervised trials of an upgraded 240-mm, 24-tube multiple-rocket launcher, tactical ballistic missiles and a 155-mm self-propelled howitzer. The launcher now has autonomous precision guidance and a 90-km range. At the same ceremony Kim announced that Korean People’s Navy will receive nuclear weapons and that larger warships will be built, citing commissioning of the 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon.
Background and Modernisation Drive
North Korea continues to modernise its military despite sanctions. In May 2026 it reported tests of artillery rockets, AI-guided cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles, calling effort a push for “automation, long-range capability and ultra-precision.”
Capabilities and Planned Assets
- Upgraded 240-mm, 24-tube rocket launcher (90 km range, autonomous guidance) and 155-mm self-propelled howitzer with tactical ballistic missiles.
- 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon commissioned; destroyer Kang Kon slated for near-term commissioning; plan to build two new surface ships annually, including 10,000-ton warships, over the next five years.
Official Statements
Kim said the programme seeks automation, long-range capability and ultra-precision to bolster defence along the southern border, and called the naval nuclear course crucial for keeping the nuclear force ready for multifaceted operation against U.S. and allied threats.
Criticism and Expert Views
Lim Eul-chul of Kyungnam University warned that ship-launched cruise missiles with tactical nuclear warheads would raise the defensive burden on South Korea and United States. Peter Ward of the Sejong Institute said the force’s size and dispersion make it so large that no single strike could eliminate it, complicating diplomatic disarmament.
Conflicting Reports
All information comes from KCNA; independent verification of the nuclear-armed warship programme is lacking. Reliability scores range from 40 % to 44 %.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The programme of equipping the Navy with nuclear weapons is following its planned course unerringly,” — Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader
- “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,” — Kim Jong Un, Supreme Leader
- “If the North deploys ship-launched cruise missiles armed with tactical nuclear warheads, it would significantly increase the burden on South Korean and US militaries and drive up the costs of defense and deterrence,” — Lim Eul-chul, Kyungnam University
- “It is a force so large and so dispersed that no single strike could eliminate it, and [appears] increasingly difficult to dismantle through diplomacy,” — Peter Ward, Sejong Institute
Future Steps
Officials said destroyer Kang Kon will be commissioned soon, and that two new surface ships, including 10,000-ton warships, will be built each year for the next five years. Precision-guided missile tests are planned for later in 2026.
