On March 11, North Korean President Kim Jong Un supervised a strategic cruise missile test from a warship, in which his daughter also appeared at the event.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the test was conducted from the destroyer Choe Hyon. Images released by KCNA show Kim Ju Ae, Kim Jong Un's daughter, present with her father during the monitoring process.
KCNA said that the launched cruise missiles flew in orbit over the Yellow Sea for about 10.116 to 10.138 seconds before hitting a pre-determined target.
Mr. Kim Jong Un watched the test through a video system and emphasized the importance of maintaining and expanding "strong and reliable nuclear war deterrence capabilities".
According to KCNA quoting Mr. Kim Jong Un, components of war deterrence capabilities are being quickly and effectively integrated into modern combat systems, and North Korea's nuclear force has entered a multifaceted operational phase.
The North Korean leader expressed satisfaction that the test confirmed the reliability of the national integrated control system for strategic weapons, as well as the advantage of the integrated combat system on destroyers.
Mr. Kim Jong Un also requested an assessment of the military effectiveness of naval automatic cannons mounted on warships, and proposed tasks to strengthen naval power.
According to him, it is necessary to improve anti-ship and strategic offensive capabilities by equipping automatic naval guns for high-speed warships under 3,000 tons. For destroyers with a displacement of 5,000 tons and 8,000 tons in the future, he proposed installing hypersonic weapon systems to replace these guns.
Previously, North Korea also conducted a similar strategic cruise missile test from the Choe Hyon multi-purpose destroyer before the ship was officially commissioned. According to Yonhap, Pyongyang calling this weapon a "strategy" shows that the missile has the ability to carry nuclear warheads.
The test took place in the context of South Korea and the United States starting the annual Freedom Shield exercise lasting 11 days, a move that has been condemned by North Korea.
