Korean People's Navy


The Korean People's Army Naval Force or the Korean People's Navy, is the naval service branch of the Korean People's Army, which contains each branch of the North Korean armed forces.
There are some 780 vessels including 70 midget submarines, 20 Romeo-class submarines, and about 140 air cushioned landing craft.
The North Korean navy is considered a brown water navy and operates mainly within the 50 kilometer exclusion zone. The fleet consists of east and west coast squadrons, which cannot support each other in the event of war with South Korea. The limited range of most of the antiquated and derelict vessels means that, even in peacetime, it is virtually impossible for a ship on one coast to visit the other coast.

History

The KPN was established on June 5, 1946.

Naval engagements of the Korean People's Army Naval Force

On March 11, 2016 CNN and the U.S. Naval Institute News reported that unnamed US officials believed a North Korean submarine had been lost at sea in the Sea of Japan. According to reports, the U.S. military had been observing the submarine when it "stopped" before the North Korean navy was observed searching the area by American satellites, aircraft and ships.

Organization

According to the Defense Intelligence Agency, the 146,000-man North Korean navy is primarily a coastal navy. The NKN is organized into two fleets: the East Coast Fleet, with eight operational commands, and the West Coast Fleet, with five operational commands. The East Coast Fleet is headquartered at Toejo Dong, with major bases at Najin and Wonsan.
The West Coast Fleet is headquartered at Nampo, with major bases at Pipagot and Sagon Ni. Numerous smaller naval bases are located along both coasts. The fleets do not exchange vessels because geographical limitations make mutual support almost impossible. The NKN does not have a Marine Corps or naval aviation capabilities. Amphibious operations are conducted by SOF units in addition to naval personnel.
According to South Korea's National Intelligence Service :
The Times puts the total in 2009 at "420 warships and 60 submarines."
The annual report of North Korea's military capabilities by the U.S. Department of Defense, released in early 2014, identified the North Korean Navy's strength at 60,000 personnel, 70 submarines, 420 gun boats, 260 amphibious landing craft, 30 mine warfare vessels, and 30 support ships.

Inventory

Most NKN vessels are small patrol-size craft unable to operate over 50
nautical miles from the coast but capable of policing the DPRK's
territorial waters. The navy's numerous amphibious craft and midget
submarines are intended to clandestinely insert SOF units into the ROK.
The DPRK also maintains coastal defense artillery and missile sites.
Coastal defense artillery includes 122 mm, 130 mm, and 152 mm systems.
Land-based coastal defense missiles include the SSC-2B SAMLET,
CSSC-2 SILKWORM, and CSSC-3 SEERSUCKER.
The NKN's most capable weapons systems are their approximately 43
guided-missile patrol boats equipped with the SS-N-2A STYX antiship
missile. Though
their small size limits operations to coastal waters and calm seas, they
have a capability to quickly respond to Combined Forces Command
shipping approaching the coast. The NKN has 12 OSA-1 guidedmissile
patrol boats, 10 DPRK versions of the OSA-1 called the SOJU,
and 19 other fast-attack missile craft; the OSA and SOJU are all
equipped with four CSS-N-1 missile launchers. The missiles have a
maximum range of 25 NM and carry radar or infrared homing seekers.
The largest part of the NKN consists of small combatants, including torpedo
boats, patrol boats, patrol craft, fast attack craft, and small amphibious
landing craft. Of the approximately 200 torpedo boats, nearly half
are DPRK-built. Most are equipped with 25 mm to 37 mm guns. The
DPRK built at least 62 CHAHO fire-support patrol units. This unique
vessel has a multiple rocket launcher in the center of its deck to provide
fire support to ground troops or attack surface ships.
The DPRK's attack submarine inventory is estimated to include 4
former Soviet Whiskey class submarine, 22 Chinese ROMEO Class submarines, and
DPRK-built ROMEO Class submarines. The WHISKEYs, acquired in
the 1960s, can carry 12 torpedoes or 24 mines. Shortly after delivering
four ROMEOs in the early 1970s, China helped the DPRK start its own
ROMEO construction program. The ROMEOs are well equipped, have
an improved sonar, and can carry 14 torpedoes or 28 mines.
To date, the DPRK has indigenously produced over 200 personnel landing
craft. This includes approximately 100 NAMPO personnel landing
craft based on a former Soviet P-6 torpedo boat hull. The NAMPO has a
maximum speed of and a radius of at. The
NAMPOs provide a limited amphibious capability, each carrying up to
30 troops with a basic combat load. Amphibious assaults against CFC
probably would be small, clandestine landings involving two to six
NAMPO craft; CHAHO or other naval craft could provide fire support.
Other amphibious craft include 8 HANTAE medium landing ships,
which can carry 3 to 4 light tanks, and approximately 125 KONG
BANG amphibious hovercraft.
The DPRK has a credible mine warfare capability. There are numerous
small surface ships that are capable of delivering mines within both the
navy and civilian sectors. Mines will be used to defend against amphibious
assaults, defend strategic ports, and provide seaward flank protection
for land forces. Defensive mine fields will be monitored by coastal
observation teams and radar, and they will be supported by well
emplaced artillery and missile batteries. This will make close approach
and mine clearing operations extremely hazardous. DPRK has a large
inventory of older technology mines, significant historical experience
with their effectiveness, and, most importantly, the willingness to use
them.
The latest bi-annual report of North Korea's military capabilities by the ROK's Ministry of National Defense, released in 2018, KPN inventory is estimated at 430 combat ships, 250 landing crafts, 20 mine layers, 40 support ships, 70 submarines.

Modernization

For years, the Korean People's Army Naval Force stagnated with a number of ships becoming old and weapons turning obsolete, this peaked with an accident during drills, when the Chosun Ilbo reported that in mid-October 2013, one of the DPRK's Hainan Class submarine chasers and one of its smaller patrol boats sank during maneuvers in the Sea of Japan with an unknown loss of life.
After 2013 surfaced on western analysis, a number of upgrades and new classes in service with the Navy appeared: most of this modernization's program is left to speculation and analysis of satellite images, due the absence of details released by North Korea.
South Korea reported that North Korea has built a new high-speed, wave piercing craft to deploy troops as part of efforts to enhance infiltration capabilities by sea. Called a Very Slender Vessel, it is cylindrical with a small cross section to pierce through waves at high speed. It is long and can carry a small number of special forces at over, compared to air-cushion vehicles than can travel at. VSVs are considered one of the most threatening craft in the Korean People's Army Naval Force for their commando infiltration capabilities onto border islands.
North Korea has built two helicopter frigates to enhance its anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Construction began in 2006-07 and launched in 2011-12, but it is unknown if they have been commissioned and are in service. The frigates are estimated to be long and wide, with a flight deck and a displacement of. Armament is believed to include 4 RBU 1200 ASW rocket launchers, a 30 mm CIWS, and possibly the C-802 missile. Its main weapon is either a Mil Mi-4 or Mil Mi-14 helicopter.
In June 2014, propaganda pictures from the North Korean state TV briefly showed one of the newly built patrol SES vessels, firing a Kh-35 anti-ship cruise missile. Despite some initial doubts over the nature of the missile, they appear to be built in North Korea and have been exported to Myanmar. The missile gives the KPN the potential to considerably improve its anti-surface missiles. In addition to the missiles, the SES vessels show a reversed-engined gun of.
Kh-35 missiles were also installed during 2014 on one of the two old Najin-class frigates : the ship also received upgrades in gunnery.
In autumn 2014, satellite images identified a newly built submarine of a new class: with a length of 67metres, it's the largest-ever submarine built so far by North Korea, it's believed to be related to older Yugoslavian projects, but if mass-built could potentially replace the aging fleet of Romeo submarines.
In spring 2015, the new submarine was observed at sea during trials, paired with a test of the KN-11 missile.

Structure

Bases

The KPN has 20 bases split between the two coasts with major and minor bases:

West Sea Fleet

The western fleet has approximately 300 watercraft, berthing facility for Yellow Sea Fleet; home to shipyard and sub base
The eastern fleet has approximately 470 ships and small craft.
Some ships are domestically built at Wonsan and Nampho shipyards. Southern bases on each coasts are used to organize infiltrations into South Korea and Japan.

Weapons

Ranks

The Korean People's Army Navy has five categories of ranks; flag officers, senior officers, junior officers, petty officers, and seamen.

Enlisted ratings

Officers

Marshals

Occasionally KPA Navy officers are promoted above Fleet Admiral. In that case, they wear army-style uniform, since ranks from Vice-Marshal and above are not divided into army, navy and air force.

Uniforms

The naval officers wear black jackets and pants with blue shirt and dark tie underneath. Their peaked caps are from the Soviet era. In summer jackets are white in the full dress uniform.
Junior ratings and seamen wear white shirts or navy blue shirts with black/white jackets and slacks and wear sailor caps.
All ranks wear shoulder and collar insignia while all officers, flag officers included, wear sleeve insignia as well in their service blue uniforms.

Anniversary

At first, an ordinance issued by the Supreme People's Assembly on June 3, 1972 designated August 28 as the Navy Day, claiming that the first leader Kim Il-sung organized the Torpedo Unit on that date of 1949. In 1993 the North Korean authorities changed it to June 5, as its "Maritime Security Corps" were organized on June 5, 1946.