North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watched the take-off of “suicide drones” as they destroyed test targets including a tank and urged researchers to develop artificial intelligence for the unmanned vehicles, state media reported on Monday (26).
Kim visited the Drone Institute of North Korea’s Academy of Defense Sciences on Saturday (24) and watched the successful test of drones correctly identifying and destroying designated targets after flying along different pre-defined routes, state news agency KCNA said.
Kim called for the production of more suicide drones to be used by tactical infantry and special operations units, such as underwater suicide attack drones, as well as multi-purpose strategic reconnaissance and attack drones, KCNA said.
Also known as loitering munitions, these weapons were widely used in the war in Ukraine and also in the Middle East.
Loitering munitions can typically be airborne and ready to strike before a specific target is located, and then strike by colliding with the target with an embedded warhead.
Photos released by state media showed at least four different types of drones, some of which were launched with the help of small rocket engines before their propellers took over.
When asked about visual similarities between some of the North Korean drones and Russia’s ZALA Lancet and the Iranian-designed Shahed, which is also used by Russia, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said more analysis was needed.
“We understand that some gifts (drones) were given in an exchange between North Korea and Russia in the past… We need to analyze various measures to see if they have improved performance,” a JCS spokesman said at a briefing.
Nuclear-armed North Korea has close ties to Russia and Iran and a history of military cooperation with both.
Seoul’s Unification Ministry said it was the first time Pyongyang had unveiled suicide drones.
Several North Korean drones crossed the border into the South in 2022 and even briefly entered a no-fly zone around the presidential office in Seoul before turning back.
South Korea has said it will use laser weapons to shoot down North Korean drones this year, becoming the first country in the world to deploy and operate such weapons in the military, and some skyscrapers in Seoul house anti-aircraft guns on their rooftops.
South Korea and the United States began annual summer military exercises last week, including practicing how to respond to North Korean drones.
Switzerland launches competition to remove old ammunition from lakes
This content was originally published in Kim Jong-un oversees tests of “suicide drones” on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
