North Korea Equips Choe Hyon-Class Destroyers With 14.5 mm Heavy Machine Guns

North Korea's new Choe Hyon-class destroyer has been equipped with an unusually large number of machine-gun mounts designed to defend the vessel against drones, US-based publication The War Zone (TWZ) said.

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North Korea

The publication drew attention to official footage from the sea trials of the destroyer Kang Kon, the second ship of its class. According to TWZ, the Choe Hyon-class destroyers are heavily armed for vessels of their size.

The ship carries at least 12 strategic cruise missiles, a 127 mm naval gun, and a close-range air defense system equipped with a multi-barrel 30 mm cannon. Another notable feature is what the publication described as an "astonishing" number of machine guns. One image from the trials shows seven machine-gun mounts along the port side of the destroyer, with some mounts carrying twin weapons. The ship appears to be fitted with heavy machine guns resembling the Soviet-designed KPV.

The publication noted that weapons chambered for the 14.5x114 mm cartridge are capable of engaging aerial targets, lightly armored vehicles, and small boats. The author suggested that the machine guns are intended to provide effective protection against unmanned surface vessels and unmanned aerial vehicles.

In April, Military Watch Magazine (MWM) reported that the Choe Hyon-class destroyers could pose a threat to U. S. military assets in the Pacific. According to the publication, ships of this class are equipped with 74 vertical launch cells capable of carrying cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and surface-to-air missiles.