North Korea test-fires strategic cruise missile, other weapons from new destroyer
North Korea on Friday test-fired a strategic cruise missile and other weapons from its new 5,000-ton destroyer in the East Sea as leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the drills, ordering the vessel commissioned within two months to strengthen naval combat capability, according to state media reports.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday personally oversaw the test-firing of a strategic cruise missile, naval artillery, automatic guns and electronic warfare systems from the new Kang Kon destroyer, ordering the 5,000-ton warship commissioned into the navy within two months, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
Combat systems verification
The drills were designed to examine the ability to "apply various kinds of weapon systems on board the destroyer in combat," the KCNA report said. South Korea's military detected the cruise missile firing toward the East Sea on Friday and is analyzing the specifics alongside Washington, Yonhap News reported. The tests mark the latest in a series of military demonstrations by Pyongyang this year.
Naval vessel history
Pyongyang launched the Kang Kon destroyer in June last year, approximately one month after the vessel had tipped over during its initial launch attempt. Kim urged increased efforts to strengthen the country's war deterrent and combat capability, state media said. The destroyer represents one of the largest surface combatants in the North Korean fleet.
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