Destroyer

Cruise missiles were seen launching into the sky as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw tests from a new naval destroyer aimed at assessing the warship’s capabilities.

Kim Jong Un supervised the launch of sea-to-surface ‘strategic cruise missiles’ from country’s new naval destroyer.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the test-firing of “strategic cruise missiles” from a new 5,000-tonne naval destroyer before the vessel’s official commissioning, according to state media.

Kim supervised the launch of sea-to-surface missiles from the destroyer Choe Hyon on Wednesday, assessing the test as a “core” element of the new warship’s capabilities, which he described as a “new symbol of sea defence” for his country.

Calling for the production of more warships of a similar class or better, Kim said his navy’s adoption of nuclear weapons was making progress.

“Our Navy’s forces for attacking from under and above water will grow rapidly. The arming of the Navy with nuclear weapons is making satisfactory progress,” Kim said at the Nampo Shipyard in the west of the country, according to North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“All these successes constitute a radical change in defending our maritime sovereignty, something that we have not achieved for half a century,” he said.

South Korea’s official Yonhap news agency noted that North Korea uses references to “strategic” weapons to indicate they could have nuclear capabilities.

According to KCNA, over a two-day visit to the shipyard, spanning Tuesday and Wednesday, Kim inspected the Choe Hyon, the lead vessel in a new series of 5,000-tonne “Choe Hyon-class” destroyers currently under construction in North Korea.

‘Wage a more active and persistent struggle’

In May 2025, North Korea’s ambitious naval modernisation programme suffered a major setback when a second Choe Hyon-class destroyer capsized during a botched side-launch ceremony at Chongjin Shipyard, an incident witnessed by the Korean leader.

Later, and in a rare admission of failure, KCNA reported that a launch mechanism malfunction caused the stern of the 5,000-tonne destroyer to slide prematurely into the water. The accident crushed parts of the hull and left the bow stranded on the shipway.

At the time, Kim characterised the launch failure as a “criminal act”, blaming the incident on “absolute carelessness” and “irresponsibility” across multiple state institutions.

This week’s missile tests come after the North Korean leader pledged in late February to lift living standards as he opened a rare congress of the governing Workers’ Party, held once every five years.

Kim told the congress that the ruling party was “faced with heavy and urgent historic tasks of boosting economic construction and the people’s standard of living”.

“This requires us to wage a more active and persistent struggle without allowing even a moment’s standstill or stagnation,” he said.

North Korea has prioritised nuclear weapons development and military strength above all else, claiming that it must be militarily strong to resist pressure from the United States and its ally, South Korea.

Since taking power in late 2011, Kim has maintained the military as a core priority while simultaneously emphasising economic strengthening to address the country’s chronic impoverishment.

The Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Truxtun collided with the support ship USNS Supply while the two were conducting an at-sea replenishment yesterday, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has confirmed. Both ships have continued to sail safely, but two sailors were injured.

The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the collision, which is said to have occurred somewhere in the Caribbean Sea.

The full statement from SOUTHCOM, as provided to TWZ, is as follows:

“Yesterday afternoon, the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG103) and the Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE-6) collided during a replenishment-at-sea. Two personnel reported minor injuries and are in stable condition. Both ships have reported sailing safely. The incident is currently under investigation.”

No further details have been provided yet about the extent of the damage to either ship.

At-sea replenishment, also known as underway replenishment, is an essential capability that provides a way for warships to receive additional fuel, munitions, and other supplies without having to visit a friendly port. This, in turn, can help ships transit greater distances with fewer interruptions or stay on station longer after arriving in an operating area.

The video below shows the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Barry conducting an at-sea replenishment with the Henry J. Kaiser class oiler USNS Rappahannock.

USS Barry Conducts Replenishment-at-Sea with USNS Rappahannock (T-AO 204)

At the same time, by the Navy’s own admission, at-sea replenishment operations, which inherently involve ships sailing closely side-by-side, are complex and potentially hazardous, in general.

“Underway Replenishment (UNREP) is a critical (and often dangerous) operation to resupply ships at sea, and it carries inherent risks that must be carefully managed. The proximity of vessels, adverse weather, fatigue, and loss of situational awareness (to name a few) in this dynamic environment can risk personnel safety and mission success,” a 2024 dispatch from the Naval Safety Center explains. “Seemingly minor mistakes can turn into potential severe mishaps in seconds.”

On February 3, the Navy announced that Truxtun had departed its homeport at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia for a scheduled deployment, but did not say specifically where the ship was headed. The ship subsequently returned to port for repairs to an unspecified piece of equipment, but was underway again by February 6, according to USNI News. The destroyer’s last deployment, which had taken it to European and Middle Eastern waters, only concluded in October 2025.

While Truxtun is said to still be sailing safely, it remains to be seen how its current deployment may be disrupted further by yesterday’s collision.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com