North Korean Navy Builds Two Helicopter Frigates, Analyst Says

North Korea has built two frigates capable of carrying helicopters, its largest weapons system in 25 years, a military analyst said, raising questions over the effectiveness of sanctions aimed at deterring its arms buildup.

The vessels are equipped with rocket launchers and what look to be anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile mounts, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., chief analytical officer at AllSource Analysis, wrote on 38 North, a blog run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington. Bermudez based his conclusion on commercial DigitalGlobe images from December and January.