North Korea builds new class of fast gunboats at Nampo shipyard

Three 36 m patrol boats at Nampo shipyard in North Korea. (Satellite image © 2026 Vantor)

Pyongyang appears to have constructed a new class of fast gunboats, each armed with a large-calibre forward gun.

Commercial satellite imagery reviewed by Janes shows at least three identical vessels moored alongside a quay at Nampo Shipyard on North Korea's west coast.

Up to three additional vessels are at various stages of completion at the shipyard.

The vessels are estimated to measure approximately 36 m in length and feature a narrow beam, sharply raked bow, and what appears to be a large gun mount positioned on the forecastle.

Although the resolution of available imagery does not allow for positive identification of the weapon, the size of the mount relative to the hull suggests a medium-calibre gun, potentially in the 57 mm class.

The class exhibits a relatively simple layout centred on a raised forward weapon position and a large open working deck aft.

No missile launchers, torpedo tubes, or other heavy armament are visible in the available imagery, indicating that the vessels may be optimised primarily for gun-based coastal patrol and interdiction missions.

The design bears similarities to several classes of North Korean naval gunboats that achieved notoriety during clashes with South Korean naval forces in the Yellow Sea in 1999 and 2002.

During the First and Second Battles of Yeonpyeong, North Korean patrol craft confronted Republic of Korea Navy Chamsuri-class patrol vessels near the disputed Northern Limit Line.

Several of the North Korean vessels involved in those engagements carried unusually heavy guns for their displacement, including turreted weapons derived from land-based systems.