North Korean leader Kim Jong Un handed over 250 new “tactical ballistic missile launchers” to “front-line units” on the border with South Korea at a ceremony Sunday, according to state media.

The missiles are a “new core offensive weapon of our armed forces,” the DPRK leader said as he called for improving nuclear capabilities to fend off threats from the U.S., the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Monday.

They appear to be transporter erector launcher vehicles (TELs) for the Hwasong-11D short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), a type of missile Kim previously claimed could be fitted with nuclear warheads. 

Kim has inspected multiple factories producing these TELs in the last year, including what appears to be a new one in Pyongyang that started operating before construction finished, indicating the urgency of the project.

Each of the 250 new TELs can carry four missiles, potentially putting 1,000 nuclear missiles on South Korea’s border, though they can also be used conventionally and Pyongyang is not known to have secured enough fissile material for this number of warheads. 

The ceremony kicked off with a heavy metal version of the national anthem at the Mirim military parade training complex in Pyongyang, just days after severe flooding ravaged parts of the northwest of the country, including around multiple important weapons factories, prompting mobilization of the military for rebuilding efforts.

Kim reportedly said in a speech that holding the ceremony days after the flooding shows his commitment to military development in the face of challenges, and that his priority on military spending will continue “without stopping under any circumstances.”

The DPRK leader also blamed the “U.S. and its followers’ ever-escalating military confrontation moves” for prompting his plan to mass-produce the SRBM systems.

Kim reiterated that he still has a choice of engaging in both “dialogue and confrontation” with the U.S. but that he still sees Washington as an “enemy state that our descendants will have to face for generations to come” no matter who occupies the White House.

He also said North Korea has the sovereign right to continue developing weapons even if engaging in dialogue.

“We will clearly let the U.S. know that if they ignore our repeated warnings and continue to try to cause disaster in the region, they could bring about fatal consequences for themselves.”

Kim added that “this is just the first stage of our plans of building up front-line missile forces” and that “we will show the whole world the unfiltered view of generational updates for new military equipment every year.” 

He also claimed these sorts of updates have a “particular deterrent effect” toward enemy countries.

Front-line units paraded with their new TELs at the complex’s mock Kim Il Sung Square after speeches by Kim Jong Un and party munitions industry department head Jo Chun Ryong. Kim also ordered them to quickly organize training exercises.

North Korea last tested the Hwasong-11D (called Hwasong-11Ra in Korean) in mid-May from the east coast, and launched six missiles simultaneously from separate TELs in a prior test in March. 

Edited by Arius Derr

Last updated on Aug. 5 at 5:00 pm. KST with additional details from state media