North Korean Destroyer Tests Strategic Cruise Missile

North Korean destroyer Choe Hyon (51) successfully test fired a sea-to-surface strategic cruise missile Wednesday as leader Kim Jong Un called for two destroyers to be built annually, state media reported. Kim oversaw the test firing while on a two-day visit of the destroyer, which is undergoing operational capability trials and evaluation at the Nampo shipyard on North Korea’s west coast, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. North Korea launched the first-in-class Choe Hyon on April 25, 2025 – its largest warship ever built. The 5,000 ton destroyer is said to have nuclear weapons capabilities, with its cruise