“North Korea’s state-run media has released new photos of the country’s most modern surface combatant, known in the West as the Amnok class corvette, which is also the largest operated by the Korean People’s Navy. Of particular interest is that the warship is armed with cruise missiles, which can likely be fitted with nuclear warheads, adding yet another platform to North Korea’s diverse and growing strategic arsenal.”
Cutters doing UN sanctions enforcement in the East China Sea might run into one of these.
This coast guard cutter sized vessel, one of four being built, which is reportedly 77 meters (253′) in length, is interesting for its combination of possible nuclear capability with old tech.
Aside from the cruise missiles, which may not have been accurate, this corvette includes four heavy gatling style machine guns (two 30mm and two 14.5mm) which would be very dangerous at short range. For mid-range, the mid 20th century 100mm gun looks rather crude, but it does throw a 34.4 lbs. (15.6 kg) projectile up to 24,323 yards (22,241 m). That is almost seven times heavier and about 6,000 yards further than the 57mm.
The portholes look out of place and may mean the ship is not fully airconditioned.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
The Amnok class corvette is so new that there’s no Wikipedia entry for it.
If anyone has time to create one, be my guest!
Only the same as Russian outfitting corvettes for hypersonic missiles.
It is unlikely that the Russians are going to put nuclear armed missiles on their corvettes, because they have nuclear subs to do that job.
Even for the N. Koreans, keeping their nuclear armed cruise missiles trucks makes more sense than putting them on this corvette, since it is a relatively easy target. But they may want to attack from an unexpected angle in the opening salvo.
North Korea has never had much of a Navy. These are their capital ships.
Well that is why they have strike length cells. They are sized to traverse the Russian river and canal system. The INF banned land based missiles, but basing them on a ship was not thought about.
Go look it up.
@X, That is an interesting point.
How much you want to make a bet that Iran had a hand at building that cutter sized ship
I did not mention their torpedoes. They may have homing torpedoes for use against surface ships. There are a number of Russian and Soviet vintage torpedoes that might be used by the North Korean Navy. http://navweaps.com/Weapons/WTRussian_post-WWII.php
@ Chuck
Here………
A large missile is a large load on a road based launcher. But even on a small ship it is a small load. In a way this supports the view some have on your side of the Pond that the USN (and allies) should be screwing and bolting missiles onto (nearly!) everything that floats.
Including perhaps Coast Guard cutters.
A given that I think. I can’t believe the RN is commissioning Type 31 without ASW equipment. The West needs the escorts. We need to balance out the rest of the world to help stabilize the international system.
@X, you would think “general purpose” would include ASW. The Polish Type 31s will be ASW equipped.
@ Chuck
The RN’s new definition of General Purpose has caused me to engage in more than one discussion online that has left me exasperated. A Type 23 frigate without 2087 TAS would still be a very potent ASW platform. But many on UK forums think ASW work can only be carried out with 2087 it seems. Some of them think Type 31 carrying an ASW helicopter is more than adequate for ASW work! Type 45 having a poor sonar based on a MOAS doesn’t trouble many here either because Type 45 is an AAW platform. I am sure to the submarines of the PLAN it is just a target. That Type 42 its predecessor carried 2050, ASW helicopter, and torpedoes and was a true ‘general purpose escort’. Apparently I am told T31 will only operate in backwaters. Doing what I don’t exactly know. The UK has gone from fielding nearly 50 ASW capable hulls to eventually 8 in 33 years. Just when the submarine threat is increasing. Still we have two nice new empty carriers.
Hopefully the carrier air wing will include some ASW helicopters. It seems both the RN and the USN have decided they don’t need to protect logistics ships. I think we may see some Chinese SSNs (which are not capable of going head to head with Western SSNs) in those backwaters specifically looking to take out logistics ships.