• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

FF Nampo / Tuman Class

The Nampo [aka Tuman] class, is a class of corvette (light frigate) built in North Korea for the Korean People's Navy, to replace the unsatisfactory Soho class, and probably the elderly Naijin class as well. It has some similarities with the UMS Tabinshweht of the Anawrahta-class corvette in of the Burmese navy ( Tatmadaw Yay). By Western standards, ships should be considered corvettes, but they are also described as light frigates for their role.

The source of the nomenclature and the duplicity of names both remain a bit obscure. The DPRK shares borders with China and Russia on the north bounded by the Amnok and Tuman rivers respectively. Seemingly Western intelligence [ie, probably DIA, not NATO, since the DPRK is pretty far out of area] has designated the DPRK's new corvettes/frigates after these two rivers. Nampo also spelled Namp'o, is a city and seaport in South Pyongan Province, North Korea. This frigate probably acquired "Nampo" as an informal designator prior to "Tuman" entering widespread circulation.

In May 2014, Joseph Bermudez noted a pair of helicopter frigates berthed at a North Korean shipyard. The imagery indicated the frigates were capable of carrying a helicopter, and may be armed with both anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons systems. The frigates would constitute a considerable expansion in the maritime power of the Korean People’s Navy, which had hitherto consisted of missile boats and small submersibles for special operations units.

Little is known about their characteristics and their weapons. One of the clear elements is the presence of a helicopter deck and perhaps even a small hangar on the hull. The only weapons system identified is that of anti-submarine rockets (mortars RBU-1200 (In) ), making the corvette a response to recent developments in the South Korean navy in the field of submarines. Other weapons could however be added, notably cannons and anti-ship missiles (such as the Kh-35, known to have been recently put into service in the KPN). The potential missile systems appear to be SAM and SSM.