North Korean Navy – Corvettes and Patrol Ships

Corvettes and Patrol Ships

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Fugas class/Tral type Minesweeper (Type 53) / Sariwon Class Corvette LOA 202′ / 61.6 m TDISP 650 (5 active, service since 1960s) Two Soviet Fugas class Tral-type minesweepers, active since 1938, were transferred to North Korea in 1953. In the 1960s, the first large, domestically built warships, the Sariwon class corvettes, were heavily influenced by the Trals.

DN-SC-94-01225
T-Class patrol combatant, ca. 1993. The unit was built in 1938 for the Russian Navy and transferred to North Korea during the mid-1950s. It appears to have some type of tank turret in the bow position, which could be a T-55 turret or a Chinese 100mm gun. Incredibly, this unit may still be active. NARA: USN 330-CFD-DN-SC-94-01225
Sariwon class corvette or Tral Nampo 2020
This Sariwon appears to have the same tank gun in the bow position.

Tral class Munchon 2019Sariwon class Kosong North Korea 2018Sariwon class Kosong North Korea 2011

CIA report Sariwon class building
Taken from P.2 of the National Photographic Interpretation Center’s memo “Najin Shipyard 28: North Korea’s foremost combatant producing shipyard. CIA June 1968 declassified report on North Korean naval construction, released in 2002 and now available online at the CIA reading room.

Hainan or Taechong class patrol vessels LOA 193-199′ / 58.8-60.7 m TDISP ca. 400 tons (many active)Taechong class Yongwi-do 2018Taechong class Yongwi-do 2010Hainan - Taechong class PV Nampo North Korea 2018

Osa I/Soju Class missile boats LOA 127′ / 38.7 m TDISP 175 tons. Soju class is derived from the Osa but slightly longer. For many more views please see other units under the Russian Navy page. Osa Class missile boats Nampo NK 2018

Nongo Class Fast Attack Craft LOA 115-130′ / 35.1-39.6 m TDISP ca. 200 tons. Surface Effect Ship, Catamaran hulled. Several designs- An original 130′ stealthy design, a “type A” and “type B” shorter, non-stealthy designs. These are armed with Russian style Kh-35 anti-ship missiles.Nongo Class FAC Munchon 2019Nongo Class FAC Nampo 2019

Nongo Class FAC Munchon 2019-2
This may be the original slightly larger Nongo boat, with more stealthy lines.

Komar Class / Project 183R LOA 83′ / 25.3 m TDISP 66 tons. First missile boat in World. The Sohung class is derived from the original Russian Komars.

DN-ST-86-11191
A Soviet-built Komar fast attack missile boat underway in the Mediterranean, ca. 1986. NARA: 330-CFD-DN-ST-86-11191

Komar Missile boats Mugye-ho NK 2019Komar Missile boat Nampo 2019

Shershen class / Project 206 Shtorm Torpedo boats LOA 112′ / 34.1 m TDISP 170 tons

Shershen1
Shershen recreation at speed. Credit: Eberhard Marx, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Shershen class Munchon 2019

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