TOKYO, April 30 (KUNA) -- North Korea said Wednesday it conducted the first test firing of its new destroyer's weapons system earlier this week under the supervision of the country's leader Kim Jong-un, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
The North carried out the "combat application test of the weapon systems" mounted on the new 5,000-ton destroyer Choe Hyon on Monday and Tuesday, the KCNA said. The multipurpose destroyer, equipped with supersonic strategic cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles, was launched on Friday at a shipyard in the western port city of Nampo.
Monday's test involved firings of supersonic cruise missiles, strategic cruise missiles, anti-aircraft missiles and 127-millimeter ship-based automatic guns, according to the KCNA. A test of firing ship-to-ship tactical guided weapons, the ship's automatic guns, smoke and electronic jamming guns took place the following day.
Kim underscored the need to perfect the warship's weapons system for integrated operations in a short span of time by strictly conducting the test as planned. "It is important to establish a proactive and offensive defensive system on the premise of powerful attack capability," Kim was quoted as saying. "It is high time to make a responsible option for accelerating the nuclearization of the Navy in order to defend the state and its maritime sovereignty from the existing and prospective threats," he noted. (end) mk.aa