North Korea to deploy long-range artillery and commission first destroyer
Updated
Updated · NBC News · May 8
North Korea to deploy long-range artillery and commission first destroyer
15 articles · Updated · NBC News · May 8
Kim Jong Un said 155mm gun-howitzers with a range of more than 37 miles will be deployed near the southern border this year, putting the Seoul area within reach.
KCNA said the Choe Hyon, North Korea's largest and most advanced warship, is to join the navy in mid-June after sea tests; Kim also cited planned border deployments of missiles and rocket launchers.
The moves follow Pyongyang's constitutional removal of unification language, reinforcing Kim's two-state line as diplomacy with Seoul and Washington remains stalled and military tensions continue to rise.
With Russian tech boosting its arsenal, can North Korea's new maritime nuclear threat be contained?
As Kim Jong Un unveils new weapons with his daughter, is he preparing North Korea for a new generation of conflict?
By constitutionally erasing unification, has Kim Jong Un permanently closed the door on peace on the Korean Peninsula?
North Korea’s New 155mm Howitzers and Nuclear-Capable Choe Hyon Destroyer Shift Regional Security in 2026
Overview
In mid-2026, North Korea escalated its military threat by deploying a new long-range 155 mm self-propelled howitzer capable of striking Seoul and commissioning the advanced Choe Hyon-class destroyer armed with strategic cruise missiles reaching U.S. bases in Japan and Guam. These moves, combined with constitutional changes that formalize North Korea as a nuclear state under Kim Jong Un's control, signal a shift toward permanent nuclear deterrence and a hardened stance against South Korea. Meanwhile, the U.S. relocation of missile defenses to the Middle East creates gaps that Pyongyang may exploit, prompting South Korea and Japan to strengthen their defenses and cooperation amid rising regional tensions and risks of miscalculation.